The following organisations may be able to help you with legal advice and information:
Legal Aid gives free and confidential legal advice, general legal information and help with legal problems. They offer advice on a one-off basis, but can offer grants to help pay for ongoing legal costs if you cannot afford a private lawyer. Legal Aid is able to give advice on:
Phone the Legal Aid Helpline on 1300 654 314 between Monday to Thursday from 8.30am to 7pm and Fridays 8.30am to 5pm to speak to a paralegal.
Find more information about how Legal Aid can help you using the link below:
Legal Aid duty lawyers are present at ACT Courts to provide free specialist advice on:
Canberra Community Law (CCL) is a community legal centre which provides free, independent and confidential legal advice and casework services to people on low incomes or facing other disadvantages. All CCL services can be contacted by:
Phone 6218 7900
Translating and Interpreting Service 131 450
National Relay Service Voice 1300 555 727 or SMS 0423 677 767 or TTY 133 677
CCL’s services include:
The Disability Discrimination Law service provides legal advice to people with disability and their families and carers who have been treated unfairly because of the disability or their association with the person with a disability.
Phone 6218 7900
The following organisations specialise in offering legal advice for specific situations:
OPALS is specialist legal service providing advice to older Canberrans with issues involving:
• older person abuse
• enduring powers of attorney
• guardianship
• financial arrangements with family members.
Phone 6243 3436
The Youth Law Centre is a free and confidential legal service for young Canberrans aged 12 – 25.
Phone 6173 5410
Address 2 Allsop Street, Canberra
WLC provides assistance to women who cannot afford a private lawyer. If you earn under $85,000 but don’t qualify for legal aid, you may qualify for an initial appointment. Their main areas of practice are family, domestic violence, victim of crime, employment and discrimination law.
Phone 6257 4377 from Canberra
Phone 1800 634 669 from outside Canberra
National Relay Service Voice 1300 555 727 or SMS 0423 677 767 or TTY 133 677
The Aboriginal Legal Service gives legal assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for criminal, family, and care and protection matters. They also run three community justice programs in the ACT to help clients re-enter the community after being held in a correctional facility.
Phone 1800 765 767 for police charges and court matters
Phone 1800 733 233 for care and protection and family matters
Phone 6120 8800 for Community Justice programs
The Consumer Law Centre provides free legal advice and representation to ACT consumers for matters involving:
• mortgages, credit cards and personal loans
• financial abuse
• debt recovery
• bankruptcy
• banking and insurance
• simple contracts
• fair trading and consumer protection
• the ACT Motor Accident Insurance Scheme.
Knowmore gives free advice and information on the legal options available to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.
Phone 1800 605 762
