Developing our internal expertise in representing members is a major focus of the AEU’s industrial team. A lawyer in private practice will typically charge between $400 and $700 per hour. By doing this work in-house, the AEU saves members thousands of dollars when prosecuting their claims or defending claims against them.
Members in each of the AEU’s sectors face complex regulations regarding their professional conduct. When members face these (often baseless) allegations, they are drawn into processes that are exacting, stressful and drawn out. They can also lead to further protracted disciplinary and regulatory processes. The AEU’s growing industrial team has developed a greater level of expertise on these matters than external solicitors so that we can provide a superior quality of service to more members. This means legal advice and support that ensures you are effectively represented by lawyers who understand the specific legal issues faced by educators. This routinely leads to falsely accused members being exculpated.
The AEU is also unique in paying for workers compensation claims – no other union backs their members in this way. Over the past term, Redlich’s (the AEU’s personal injury lawyers) resolved several members’ lump sum claims, totalling more than $2 million.
