Attorney-General's Department

What Attorney-General's Department does

The Attorney-General's Department is an Australian federal government department, established at Federation in 1901 and headquartered in Barton, ACT, with a workforce of 1,001-5,000. It is constitutionally and statutorily responsible for developing and administering Australia's national law and justice framework, holding first-law-officer authority through the Attorney-General as a Cabinet minister. The department administers key federal legislation including the Family Law Act 1975, Privacy Act 1988, Copyright Act 1968, Freedom of Information Act 1982, and national security and integrity statutes, and operates the related Australian Government Solicitor as its wholly owned legal services subsidiary.

The department delivers a portfolio of services spanning family law (Family Dispute Resolution, Children's Contact Services, Family Relationship Advice Line, the Lighthouse Project and Evatt List for high-risk family violence matters, and the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme), rights protections (privacy, copyright, FOI, anti-discrimination, elder abuse via the 1800ELDERHelp helpline and Elder Abuse Action Australia's Compass.info hub), national security legal frameworks, integrity (the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the 2025 Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion), and international legal cooperation (Pacific law and justice program, private international law, MLETR). Its digital product surface includes the amica online dispute resolution tool (launched 2024), the Marriage Celebrants Self-service Portal (2024), the Surrogacy in Australia website (2025), the ID Match identity matching service, and Commonwealth Statutory Declaration forms.

The department is funded through Australian Government federal budget appropriations and does not generate commercial revenue; some nominal fees apply to specific services (e.g., FOI processing charges). Service delivery occurs through direct government channels including the Federal Courts System, online self-service portals, 1800-helplines, and a funded provider network (ATSILS, FVPLS, specialist elder abuse units), with public engagement through the consultations.ag.gov.au consultation hub and an annual stakeholder survey. The customer base is exclusively public-sector: Australian citizens as end beneficiaries and federal/state government agencies and courts as institutional counterparties.

Name

Attorney-General's Department

Legal name

Attorney-General's Department

Website

https://ag.gov.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Attorney-General's Department is an Australian federal government department that develops and administers national law and justice policy, administers the Family Law Act, Privacy Act, and Copyright Act, and delivers family law services, rights protections, and national security coordination for Australian citizens and federal agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Legal and Justice Administration

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rule of Law & Justice Sector Reform (BPADAGAB), Legal Practice Management & Case Management (BPAEAPAC), Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Federal legal policy
• Law and justice
• Family law services
• Rights and protections
• National security law

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriation: Funded through Australian Government federal budget appropriations. Receives annual parliamentary appropriations to deliver services including family law administration, legal assistance programs, national security coordination, and rights protections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Attorney-General's Department develops and administers national law and justice policy for Australia. It provides policy advice, drafts legislation, and delivers services across family law, privacy, anti-corruption, national security, and rights protection, and through the Australian Government Solicitor provides legal services to the Commonwealth.

Product overview

The Attorney-General's Department operates a digital services portfolio comprising online dispute resolution tools, government service portals, and informational websites. Key products include amica (online dispute resolution for separating couples), the Marriage Celebrants Self-service Portal, the Surrogacy in Australia website, ID Match identity services, and online statutory declaration forms. The department also delivers family law services including Family Dispute Resolution, Children's Contact Services, Family Relationship Services, and administers the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme and the Lighthouse Project for family safety risk management. These digital services and programs support the department's core functions in family law, rights and protections, legal system administration, crime, national security, integrity, and international relations under legislation including the Family Law Act 1975 and Privacy Act 1988.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Standing Council of Attorneys-General (State and Territory Governments)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2021Federal-state collaboration through the Standing Council of Attorneys-General (SCAG) to develop and implement national legal frameworks. Working group chairs family violence initiatives, coercive control principles, and information sharing between family law and family violence/child protection systems. National Framework endorsed by Attorneys-General on 12 November 2021.
• Family Violence Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2017Sub-committee of Standing Council of Attorneys-General chaired by the Attorney-General's Department, progressing priority family safety issues including improving family violence competency, information sharing between child protection, policing and justice systems, and developing guiding principles for vulnerable witnesses.
• Australasian Institute of Judicial AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded partner for development and maintenance of the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book - an online educational resource for judicial officers promoting best practice and consistency in judicial decision-making across Australian jurisdictions.
• National Judicial College of AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded partner delivering family violence training package for judicial officers across Australia, promoting consistency in interpretation and application of family violence laws.
• Elder Abuse Action Australia (EAAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational peak body for elder abuse, established with government support. EAAA developed the Compass.info knowledge hub (funded by Australian Government) providing national resources on elder abuse services and prevention.
• Australian Institute of Family StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides secretariat support for the Family Law Council. Commissioned for National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study and research into abuse of older people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQIA+ communities.
• Australian Federal PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation sharing agency for the Australian Capital Territory under the National Strategic Framework for Information Sharing between Family Law and Family Violence/Child Protection Systems.
• State and Territory Child Protection and Policing AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation sharing agencies under the National Framework, sharing child abuse, neglect, and family violence risk information with federal family law courts. Also participate in Co-location Program for coordinated family safety responses.
• Australian Government SolicitorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated Commonwealth entity providing legal services to the Commonwealth including legal advice and representation, operating under the department's portfolio.
• Independent National Security Legislation MonitorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated statutory office providing independent review of national intelligence community legislation, operating under the department's portfolio.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Law Council of Australia: The Law Council of Australia is the peak national representative body for the Australian legal profession. It is an ecosystem participant that works closely with the AGD on law reform, legal policy, and access to justice initiatives.
• Australian Government Solicitor: AGS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the AGD that provides legal services to the Commonwealth. Listed here as it is the AGD's principal legal service delivery arm, useful for understanding the department's operational footprint in legal services.

Direct peers

• Canadian Department of Justice: The Canadian Department of Justice supports the federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, providing legal policy advice, drafting federal legislation, and conducting federal prosecutions. It is a direct analogue to the Australian AGD in role, mandate, and federation context.
• U.S. Department of Justice: The U.S. DOJ is the closest international counterpart to the Australian Attorney-General's Department, serving as the federal government's central legal affairs department handling prosecution, law enforcement oversight, civil litigation, and legal policy. Both organizations are headed by their nation's chief law officer and administer foundational federal legislation.
• Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers: The Singapore AGC drafts legislation, provides legal advice to government, and conducts public prosecutions. It is comparable in its role supporting the Attorney-General as chief legal officer, though Singapore's unitarian system differs from Australia's federal structure.
• Department of Justice (Ireland): Ireland's Department of Justice oversees justice and equality policy, including courts, policing, and immigration. Comparable in role and scope to the Australian AGD, particularly on family law and rights protection policy areas.
• UK Ministry of Justice: The UK Ministry of Justice oversees the justice system, courts, prisons, and legal aid policy for England and Wales. It is structurally analogous to the Australian AGD in administering national justice policy, court systems, and legal aid funding.
• New Zealand Ministry of Justice: The New Zealand Ministry of Justice leads the justice sector, administering courts, legal aid, and justice policy. It is a close regional peer given shared Westminster legal tradition and similar family law and privacy regulatory frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agdgovau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/attorneygeneralsau
• Facebookfacebook.com/attorneygeneralsdepartment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/attorney-generals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Attorney-General's Department