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‘We definitely need more lawyers in the bush’
Here, a principal lawyer who grew up in a regional area outlines how the limited number of legal professionals in RRR areas is affecting the ability of these individuals to receive the justice they deserve.
Grace Robbie
Accessing justice and legal services for individuals living in regional, rural, and remote (RRR) areas of Australia has been a longstanding challenge that both the legal profession and these residents have been working to address.
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Research from the University of New England has revealed that less than 10 per cent of solicitors in Australia are practising in RRR areas despite 28 per cent of the Australian population living in these locations.
Dan Creevey, the principal lawyer for Queensland-based law firm Creevey Horrell Lawyers, has expressed his growing concerns about the escalating disparity in legal professionals who are reluctant and unwilling to practise in regional and remote communities.
He outlined that despite the appealing aspects of living in RRR areas, such as “cheaper housing and easier commuting”, there is a significant challenge in attracting lawyers to relocate and practise law in these regions.
Due to the shortage of legal professionals in these areas, Creevey emphasised that the law firm is “turning clients away because we do not have the resources to take them all on”.
Creevey said: “Like myself, many of our legal team have been raised in the bush and have returned to regional cities such as Toowoomba and Townsville after stints in the capital cities. We are trying to recruit more legal staff, but it’s not easy, particularly to get the younger lawyers to move from the city.”
Through facing these challenges in recruiting legal professionals to work in these regional and remote areas, Creevey argued how this is “limiting the access to legal assistance” and “justice for people outside of the capital cities”.
Creevey emphasised the need for the government to introduce incentives similar to those in place to attract professionals from various fields to move to RRR areas to address the limited legal professionals in these communities.
“There are incentives from [the] government to attract doctors, nurses and teachers to regional and rural areas and perhaps more effort should be directed to boosting legal services,” he said.
To support these areas, Creevey highlighted how the Queensland-based law firm “regularly visits country areas to catch up with clients”, ensuring that individuals in these regions receive the access to justice that they deserve.
He further said: “We understand the needs of regional Queensland and go on regular road trips to meet existing and potential new clients.”
While advancements in technology enable individuals residing in RRR areas to access legal advice through such communication tools, Creevey stressed how “there is nothing better than face-to-face contact, which people in the bush can miss out on”.
He said: “The proximity of lawyers to their clients is important for both criminal and civil matters. Someone charged with a criminal offence has a right to legal representation, but this is often missing in remote communities. Civil law matters, such as family law, wills and estates and commercial/contract law, are a major part of all communities, but particularly in rural Australia.”
Creevey’s concerns about the lack of lawyers in these regional communities have also been echoed by other Queensland lawyers, with increasing recruitment incentives for rural and regional solicitors as one of the main priorities that the Queensland Law Society outlined in its 2024 Call to Parties Report.
In a video posted on social media detailing the headline priorities of the Call to Parties, QLS chief executive Matt Dunn said: “Access to quality legal services is a basic human right, but underfunding in Queensland currently means they are being denied this right.”
“RRR communities face significant barriers in accessing justice, which disproportionately affects vulnerable groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
“Currently, solicitors in these locations experience disparity in remuneration, employment conditions and workload, compared to those in urban centres. Attracting and retaining solicitors in these communities is a significant challenge that requires innovative solutions.”
QLS is, thus, calling, Dunn advised, for a graduate solicitor program providing financial support for practices to recruit and retain practitioners for RRR areas, as well as investment in regional law scholarships and greater benefits for those practising in the regions, also for retention purposes.
