Option 1: Victoria
Legal Aid
- Free telephone and online legal information
- Free or low-cost legal representation by applying for a Grant of Legal Aid. Eligibility for a Grant of Legal Aid depends on your income and assets, and whether you have a strong legal case.
Contact Victoria Legal Aid
Option 2: Community Legal Centres
Contact your nearest Community Legal Centre (CLC) for:
- Free online legal information
- Free legal advice representation in some cases, depending on the Community Legal Centre’s eligibility guidelines.
OR
Contact a specialist Community Legal Centre (most have eligibility guidelines).
Contact a CLC
Contact a specialist CLC
Specialist Community Legal Centres include:
AED Legal Centre (Legal centre specialised in disability law and discrimination)
(03) 9639 4333
Anika Legal (free legal service for residential renters)
0451 618 383
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
(03) 9326 6066
Consumer Action Law Centre
(03) 9629 6300 or 1800 466 477
Disability Discrimination Legal Service
(03) 9654 8644
Djirra (Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service)
1800 105 303
Job Watch (employment rights legal centre)
(03) 9662 1933 (Melbourne) or 1800 331 617 (outside Melbourne)
Law and Advocacy Centre for Women
(03) 9448 8930
National Debt Helpline
1800 007 007
Refugee Legal
(03) 9431 0101
Seniors Rights Victoria
1300 368 821
Social Security Rights Victoria
(03) 9481 0355 or 1800 094 164 (rural callers)
Tenants Victoria (help for individual renters)
Tenant advice line: (03) 9416 2577
Social housing tenant advice line (for tenants in public housing and community housing): 1800 068 860
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
1800 064 865
Women’s Legal Service Victoria
(03) 8622 0600 or 1800 133 302 (toll free)
Youth Law Australia
(02) 9385 9588
Option 3: Everyday Justice
- Everyday Justice is a not-for-profit law firm owned by Mills Oakley
- A national free legal service to help people and organisations who have ‘everyday’ legal issues but can’t afford a lawyer or access to Legal Aid
- Cannot help with: family law, criminal law, immigration, property, Centrelink matters, NDIS or workers compensation
Contact Everyday Justice
Option 4: Justice Connect
- Free legal help for people experiencing disadvantage, including information, advice, representation, and referrals to private lawyers who can assist for free (that is, pro bono).
- Specialist legal advice and assistance:
- Homeless Law
- Seniors Law
- Access Program
Contact Access Program
Help for people with legal problems in areas of rising legal need and matters in the public interest. Legal problems people may be eligible for help with include:
- Financial legal problems
- Disputes about work and employment
- People representing themselves in court
- Domestic building disputes in Victoria
- Disaster-related legal issues
Contact Homeless Law
Help for Victorians who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, whose legal problem is based in the Melbourne metro or Geelong area
T: 1800 606 313 or (03) 8636 4408
Contact Seniors Law
Help for people aged 55 and older who are experiencing financial elder abuse, delivered through Health Justice Partnerships.
T: (03) 9448 5510
Option 5: Law Institute of Victoria’s ‘Find a Lawyer’ Referral Service
(for paid legal services)
- Referrals to up to 3 private lawyers who can provide a 30 minute interview at no charge, and who may be able to provide legal representation for a fee
- Some firms may discount their fee or charge on a “no win, no fee” basis. Discuss this directly with the firm
- Contact this service if there is no free legal help available
Contact the Law Institute of Victoria
W: www.liv.asn.au/find-a-lawyer
T: (03) 9607 9550
Option 6: Legal help in Court
Duty lawyer services
Free representation in certain matters in the Magistrate’s Courts, Children’s Court, Koori Court, County Court, State Coroner’s Office and Justice Centres, Family Court, Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court
Contact Legal Aid’s duty lawyer service
Justice Connect’s Self-Representation Service
For matters in the Federal Court or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (General Federal Law jurisdiction) as well as some cases in the County Court and Supreme Court of Victoria:
- Free information and face-to-face advice about representing yourself in Court
- Federal Self-Representation Service: limited to bankruptcy, Fair Work or employment law, federal discrimination law, and judicial review of some federal government decisions
- Victorian Self-Representation Service: issues we can help with include appeals from VCAT and lower courts, civil, and commercial matters
Contact the Self-Representation Service
T: 1800 727 550
Court-appointed legal assistance
For matters in the Federal Court of Australia:
- Court referrals to private lawyers who can assist for free or at low cost (that is, pro bono)
- Limited to cases where there is no other free legal help available
Contact the Federal Court of Australia
Option 7: Legal info
Legal information can help you decide on the best solution for your legal problem. Our Self-help legal information page has a list of websites where you can find simple legal information.