Legal & Will Referrals (not workers compensation)

Legal & Will Referrals (not workers compensation)

LEGAL & WILL REFERRALS (MSD) 

FOR MSD Guidance

Purpose 

This guide explains how to process requests for: 

  • Free Standard Will 

  • Free 30-minute General Legal Consultation 

 

All general member benefit enquiries must be referred to Member Admin. 

MSD’s role is limited to: 

  • Confirming eligibility 

  • Completing referral forms 

  • Sending referrals to the correct law firm per rotation 

  •  

1. Before You Start – Mandatory Eligibility Checks 

 

  1.  The member must be financial for 3+ months* (for wills + general legal advice) 

 

*Exception: 
Workers compensation referrals may proceed even if under 3 months because firms receive IRO funding. 

 

  1. If the member is unfinancial → STOP 

 

You must say: 

 

“Your membership is currently unfinancial, so I can’t process a legal referral yet. Member Admin can help get this resolved, would you like me to transfer you to them?” 

 

Then: 

  • Transfer to Member Admin (ext 222) 

  • Log as an Interaction 

  • Do not create a case 

  • Do not send a referral 

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2. Determine the Type of Referral 

a) Free Will (Standard Will) 

  • Member’s partner also eligible for a standard will 

  • Complex wills attract discounted rates 

b) General Legal Consultation 

  • 30-minute free consultation 

  • Family law, estates, motor vehicle, super disputes, general civil matters 

  • Not industrial matters (those stay with MSD) 

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3. Explain the Service to the Member (Script) 

“The HSU partners with three law firms who provide their services to our members, and we rotate our referrals on a weekly basis. 

If you require assistance with a general legal issue (e.g. civil, family, criminal, etc.) we offer a 30-minute free consultation for eligible members. Ongoing representation, if needed, would be a private arrangement between you and the firm. 

If you require a will, this can be prepared by our solicitors at no cost to you, so long as you have been a financial member for 3 or more months. This is a benefit that the HSU offers through our membership benefits program.” 

 

4. Check the Weekly Law Firm Rotation 

Rotation is always: 

  1. Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers 

  1. Hall Payne Lawyers 

  1. McNally Jones Lawyers 

Check the rotation sheet to determine the current firm. This may also be available on the MSD shared calendar. 

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5. Live Call Referral – Step-by-Step (Preferred) 

  1. Confirm eligibility. 

  1. Open the Legal Referral Template. 

  1. Populate the template with the following details during the call: 

  • Member name 

  • DOB 

  • Contact details (please ensure postal address is correct, many members have PO boxes in rural areas) 

  • Employer (if applicable) 

  • Issue summary 

  1. Tell member which law firm they’re being referred to. 

  1. Email referral to: 

  • Law firm (per rotation) 

  1. Log interaction in IMIS: 

  • “Legal Referral – [Type]”. Please specify the nature of the referral, e.g. workers compensation, will, civil, etc. 

  • Name of the firm 

  • Brief issue summary 

  1. Do not create a case unless industrial action is required. 

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6. Inbox Referral – Step-by-Step 

If a member emails requesting a referral: 

  1. Confirm eligibility. 

  1. Send the legal referral information request template (below). 

  1. When they reply, prepare the referral form. 

  1. Send to the next firm in rotation. 

  1. Log interaction in IMIS. 

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7. Template Email to Member (Inbox) 

Subject: HSU Legal Referral – Information Required 

Dear [Name], 

Thank you for your enquiry. Before we organise your legal referral, could you please confirm: 

  • Full legal name (please note your preferred name if applicable) 

  • Date of birth 

  • Contact details (including residential and postal address) 

  • Brief description of your issue 

Once we receive this, we’ll forward your details one of the law firms that we refer out to, and they will contact you directly. 

Kind regards, 
Member Services Division 
HSU NSW/ACT/QLD 

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8. When NOT to Refer 

Do not refer if: 

  • Member is unfinancial 

  • Member has been financial less than 3 months (wills & general legal consults only) 

  • The issue is industrial → MSD handles this 

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