Attorney General Joe Berinson is considering changes to legislation to allow people claiming damages in civil litigation to receive interim payments prior to a case being finalised.
Mr Berinson said the proposal envisaged interim payments being ordered at the discretion of the courts and only in cases where liability had been determined and it was clear a substantial damages settlement would eventually be made.
"In such cases, legal proceedings are primarily concerned with fixing an appropriate amount for final settlement," he said.
"If an interim payment was made - one which did not exceed a reasonable proportion of the damages the court believed would eventuate - it would alleviate the distress and financial hardship suffered by some plaintiffs, particularly accident victims, due to the lengthy proceedings and delays which can occur before an assessment of damages is reached."
Mr Berinson said a system of interim payments was operating successfully in the UK and legislation to that effect had also recently been enacted in New South Wales.
He said he had sought advice from the Chief Justice and other legal professionals on the proposal and was studying their responses before taking the matter up with State Cabinet.
