Lawyers can assist health professionals by:

• advising on your legal obligations and how to ensure compliance;
• helping to explain your obligations on reporting deaths;
• discussing your legal options if you are subject to disciplinary action;
• providing guidance on court procedures where you have been subpoenaed (required to give evidence or produce documents at court);
• advising you on the likely outcomes of any complaint made against you by a patient;
• representing you in negotiations with other parties; and
• representing you in any court proceedings brought against you.

Lawyers can assist patients by:

• advising whether you have a claim against a health professional;

• helping you to draft complaint letters regarding treatment by a health professional;
• discussing the dispute resolution processes and the options available to you;
• representing you at a coronial inquest where a loved one has died as a result of medical malpractice;
• assisting you in negligence claims including gathering evidence, negotiating with the other parties and representing you in any court; and
• advising you and drafting relevant documents to give someone you trust permission to provide medical consent on your behalf.