By Talk to a Lawyer · Published 19 September 2026 · 3 minute read
Administrative-law advice concerns decisions made by government bodies and other authorities. You may want reasons, an internal review, a merits review or advice about legal error. These are different processes. Identify the agency, the exact decision and the date you received it so the adviser can assess the route before debating the outcome.
Read. Prepare. Find an office.
Use this guide to organise your questions, then confirm the provider’s experience, availability and first-stage fee.
Find administrative law providers →Establish what has actually been decided
Collect the decision, reasons, original application and supporting documents. Separate a final decision from a proposal, information request or service complaint. State how the decision affects you and what you want changed. Ask whether further reasons or records are needed and how they can be obtained through the appropriate process.
Match the challenge to the available powers
Ask whether the relevant body can reconsider facts, substitute a decision or only address legal error or service conduct. A complaint to an ombudsman is not automatically the same as a tribunal application or court challenge. Federal and state pathways differ, and the ART only reviews decisions within its jurisdiction. Confirm any preliminary review requirement and relevant dates.
Plan the response and current obligations
Ask whether the decision remains operative and whether a separate stay or other urgent step is available. Do not assume a complaint or advice enquiry pauses it. Scope a preliminary assessment, submission and representation separately, including document gathering and external costs. Keep a record of lodgement and clarify who monitors further communications.
Build a decision file rather than a general complaint archive
Put the decision and reasons first, followed by the application, evidence considered and any review correspondence. Create a short list of the findings you dispute and why, linking each to a record where possible. Keep service concerns in a separate section. Ask what the proposed reviewer is authorised to reconsider and what additional material it can receive. This makes the first legal assessment more focused and helps avoid spending time on a complaint that cannot deliver the specific change you need.
Compare the scope and cost of advice
Identify the decision-maker and the exact decision or complaint before comparing assistance. A service complaint, internal reconsideration, tribunal review and court challenge are different processes. Ask about advocacy, legal aid or community assistance as well as private services. Explain accessibility and representation needs early so the proposed engagement supports meaningful participation by the person whose rights are affected.
- Identify the pathway
- Ask which body can address the issue, what it can change and whether a preliminary step, authority to act or particular application date applies.
- Prepare the material
- Confirm who obtains reasons and records, how sensitive information is handled and whether the scope includes a submission, meeting or response to additional evidence.
- Participate or review
- Ask who attends, what representation is available, whether the existing decision continues and what separate work would be needed for any later challenge.
Read the guide to consultation fees and written quotes, or use the provider comparison worksheet.
Illustrative situation · not a client result
What a focused enquiry looks like
An applicant complains about poor service but also needs a refusal reconsidered. The adviser separates the service complaint from the decision-review pathway so the correct application and dates receive attention.
Your preparation checklist
Gather what you already have. Mark missing records and uncertain dates rather than guessing; ask the office what it needs before sending sensitive documents.
0 of 4 gathered · ticks reset when you leave this page.
A preparation aid, not confirmation that a legal requirement is complete.
A first enquiry you can adapt
I need advice about a decision by [agency] received on [date]. I have [reasons and review history] and want [outcome]. Can you assess the available process, current obligations and the scope of an initial decision review?
Replace the bracketed details with accurate information. Keep the first message brief and confirm a secure channel for the full records.
Common questions about administrative law
Can the ART review every government decision?
No. Ask whether the specific decision is within its jurisdiction or whether another process applies.
Is judicial review a fresh decision on all the facts?
Ask the lawyer to explain the court's role and available remedies; it differs from a merits review.
Further reading and scope
ART: application and review forms
Federal decisions within the ART's jurisdiction; state and other review processes differ.
This is general preparation information, not an assessment of your legal position. Requirements, dates and available remedies depend on the facts and jurisdiction. The linked resource has the scope described above; it does not verify an individual provider or this guide.