What the report actually says
The Independent Review Office (IRO) publishes a list of law firms engaging Approved Lawyers that received funding during the financial year. In Table 41, titled Overview of Total Amounts Paid to Law Firms in 2024-25, Stephen Young Lawyers is recorded with 448 total matters and a rounded $1.1 million total amount paid.
The row appears tenth when the table is read in its published descending order. The report does not call this a ranking of the best workers compensation firms, and the data cannot support that claim.
What the figures do not show
The 448 figure should not be described as 448 successful claims, 448 new clients or 448 Personal Injury Commission proceedings. Table 41 uses the label "total matters" but does not publish an outcome for each matter. The payment figure includes grant-related professional fees and disbursements paid to the firm and is rounded in the report.
The table also does not measure legal quality, compensation recovered, success rate, client satisfaction or the firm's current workload. It is evidence of recorded IRO funding activity in a defined financial year, not an award or an endorsement of the result likely in another worker's claim.
How IRO and ILARS funding works
IRO administers the Independent Legal Assistance and Review Service (ILARS). IRO states that Approved Lawyers may apply for grants to provide legal advice and assistance to eligible injured workers pursuing NSW workers compensation entitlements.
Funding is not automatic. The lawyer must assess the matter and make an application where appropriate, and IRO decides the application under the current ILARS Funding Guidelines. The scope of any grant matters: work, professional fees and reasonably necessary disbursements must fall within the approval.
Read our IRO and ILARS funding guide for the current qualification and application process. A worker should not assume that every claim, enquiry or court step will be funded.
Documents that help identify the actual dispute
If an insurer has disputed liability, changed weekly payments or refused treatment, the first task is to identify the decision and the evidence behind it. Useful documents may include:
- the insurer's notice and reasons, including any section 78 or work capacity decision;
- certificates of capacity and treating medical reports;
- payslips, rosters and any PIAWE calculation relied on by the insurer;
- treatment requests, clinical material and the insurer's response; and
- the dates on which decisions and review outcomes were received.
The appropriate review or dispute pathway depends on the decision, the current legislation and the evidence. The Annual Report figures do not answer those questions for an individual claim.
Sources
Sources reviewed 21 July 2026. This page is general information only and is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What does Table 41 of the IRO Annual Report record?
Table 41 is titled "Overview of Total Amounts Paid to Law Firms in 2024-25". It records Stephen Young Lawyers with 448 total matters and $1.1 million paid. The report says the table concerns firms engaging IRO Approved Lawyers that received funding during the year.
Does the table rank legal skill or case outcomes?
No. The table reports administrative matter and payment data. It does not report success rates, compensation outcomes, client satisfaction, legal quality or a current caseload. It should not be used as a prediction about any claim.
Does 448 total matters mean 448 successful claims?
No. The report does not describe the 448 matters as 448 new claims, contested PIC proceedings or successful outcomes. It records total matters associated with payments to the firm during the reporting period.
Is ILARS funding automatic for a workers compensation dispute?
No. An IRO Approved Lawyer must assess the proposed work and apply for a grant where appropriate. IRO decides the application under the current ILARS Funding Guidelines. Only approved work, professional fees and reasonably necessary disbursements within the grant are funded.
Related workers compensation guides
Need help understanding an insurer decision?
Send the decision, key dates and a short account of what has changed. We can explain the next practical step and whether an ILARS funding application may be appropriate.