Links to legal help in the Northern Territory
How can I find legal help in NT?
PLEASE NOTE: The Australian Pro Bono Centre is a policy, research and resource centre.
WE DO NOT AND CAN NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR REFERRALS OURSELVES
We do, however, know what legal assistance (including pro bono assistance) is available around Australia, including in the Northern Territory.
If you are looking for legal help in NT and are unable to pay for a lawyer, there are a number of other ways to find legal advice, assistance and representation.
Many services, however, are only able to assist those who meet certain criteria (for example, they may have an income and assets test, or only be able to assist in certain areas of law).
These include Legal Aid, services for Indigenous Australians, Community Legal Centres, Pro Bono Referral Schemes & Organisations, Self-Help Legal Information, and Court-based Legal Assistance.
Below you will find a list of organisations and services that provide legal help in NT,
in the most appropriate order to contact them.
Pro bono legal assistance is a ‘last resort’, as it is provided by private law firms and individual lawyers on their own time, without government funding. Before you apply for pro bono assistance you will first need to see if other legal help is available. This is usually the first question that a pro bono referral organisation will ask.
First, contact the
Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission
Legal Aid has the most resources and is the best place to start
The Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission is the main source of government-funded legal help in NT, with branches across the Territory. It can provide legal advice, assistance and/or representation itself, or provide a ‘grant of legal aid’ to allow you to receive assistance from a private law firm.
Details can be found on the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission website or by contacting them on 1800 019 343.
More information on Legal Aid in general can be found on our Legal Aid page.
If you are an Indigenous Australian, you can instead contact your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) or Family Violence Prevention Legal Service (FVPLS). More details, including contact information, can be found here.
Next, contact a
Community Legal Centre
If Legal Aid can’t help, try a local or specialist Community Legal Centre
Community Legal Centres can be found throughout NT and can also provide legal advice and assistance, and sometimes representation. They are not part of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission.
To find your local Community Legal Centre, or to see if there is a Specialist Community Legal Centre devoted to your type of legal matter, check the National Association of Community Legal Centres’ website, or contact them on (02) 9264 9595.
More information on Community Legal Centres in general can be found on our Community Legal Centres page.
If they can’t help, contact the
Law Society NT Pro Bono Clearing House
The Law Society NT Pro Bono Clearing House can refer matters for pro bono legal assistance
The term “pro bono” refers to private law firms, solicitors and barristers providing legal assistance for free, or for a substantially reduced fee.
Most private law firms that provide pro bono legal assistance do so through the Law Society NT Pro Bono Clearing House, including many of the largest in the Northern Territory.
For more information on the Law Society NT Pro Bono Clearing House, including their application process and the kind of matters they can and can’t take, check the Law Society NT Pro Bono Clearing House website, or contact them on (08) 8981 5104.
More information on pro bono referral schemes and organisations in general can be found on our Pro Bono Referral Schemes & Organisations page.
Other Options
There are also other sources of legal information, advice and assistance
Self-Help Legal Information
You may wish to find legal information relevant to your legal issue. There are many legal resources available online and over the phone, mostly provided by the government.
More information can be found on our Self-Help Legal Information page.
“No Win, No Fee” Firms
There are a number of law firms that will take on legal matters on a “no win, no fee” basis, also known as a “contingency” basis.
This means that, if the firm thinks you are likely to succeed in Court and receive compensation, they will not charge you any money up front. Instead, they will take their legal fees out of the amount of compensation you receive if you succeed.
This type of arrangement is only available in some types of matters, often related to the workplace. To see if there is a law firm that may look at taking on your matter on this basis, check the Law Society NT ‘Find a Lawyer’ service webpage, or contact them on (08) 8981 5104.
Court-Based Referral Schemes and Duty Lawyers
If your matter is being heard in a Court, you may be able to access a Court-based Referral Scheme or Duty Lawyer. To find out if this is available, contact the general information number or Registrar for your Court – for contact details, check any correspondence you may have received, or search for their website online.
More information on this type of assistance, including its availability in the Northern Territory, can be found on our Court-Based Legal Assistance page.