Legal services that can help
Call during office hours to make an appointment or to ask about drop-in times, as many legal services also provide a night service where an appointment may not be needed. Note that most legal centres do not give legal advice over the phone. Callers are referred to VLA’s Legal Help phone line (1300 792 387) or webchat.
Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria
www.fclc.org.au
Tel: 9652 1501
The Federation is the peak body for community legal centres in Victoria.
Association of Employees with Disability (AED) Legal Centre
www.aed.org.au
Tel: 9639 4333
AED assists people with disability who have employment and education-related legal problems.
The Animal Law Institute
www.ali.org.au
The Animal Law Institute is a national community legal centre that is dedicated to protecting animals and advocating for their interests through the legal system.
ARC Justice: Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre
www.arcjustice.org.au
Tel: 5831 0900; 1800 310 900
This Community Legal Centre assists people who live in Benalla, Greater Shepparton, Mansfield, parts of the Mitchell Shire, Moira and Strathbogie.
ARC Justice: Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre
www.arcjustice.org.au
Tel: 5445 0909; 1800 450 909
This Community Legal Centre assists people who live in central Victoria, including Bendigo, Loddon, Campaspe, Mt Alexander, Central Goldfields, and parts of the Macedon Ranges.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
www.asrc.org.au
Tel: 9326 6066 (Footscray)
Tel: 8772 1380 (Dandenong)
At the ASRC, lawyers provide free, expert immigration and legal representation to people seeking asylum. The ASRC’s lawyers can help people at all stages of the refugee determination process.
Ballarat and Grampians Community Legal Service
www.bgcls.org.au
Tel: 5331 5999; 1800 466 488
Barwon Community Legal Service
www.barwoncommunitylegal.org.au
Tel: 1300 430 599
Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre (BMCLC)
www.comm-unityplus.org.au/legal-services/ community-legal-centre
Tel: 8592 9077
The BMCLC assists people who live, work or study in Bacchus Marsh, Brimbank or Melton.
Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC)
www.consumeraction.org.au
Tel (legal advice line): 1800 466 477 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 1pm)
Tel (workers legal advice line): 9602 3326 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm; Monday, Thursday and Friday, 2pm to 5pm; Wednesday, 3pm to 5pm)Tel (Koori help line): 1800 574 457 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm)
CALC is a specialist community legal centre that provides free legal advice to Victorians with fair trading or consumer finance problems.
Disability Discrimination Legal Service (DDLS)
www.ddls.org.au
Tel: 9654 8644; 1300 882 872 (rural callers)
The DDLS is a state-wide community legal centre that specialises in disability discrimination matters.
Djirra: Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Service
www.djirra.org.au
Tel: 1800 105 303
Tel: 9244 3333 (Melbourne head office)
Tel: 5153 2322 (Bairnsdale)
Tel: 4411 7200 (Echuca)
Tel: 5021 3200 (Mildura)
Tel: 5100 1700 (Morwell)
Tel: 5562 5755 (Warrnambool)
Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC)
www.eclc.org.au
Tel: 1300 325 200
Outreach: Ashburton, Bulleen, Deakin University, Hawthorn, and Ringwood Magistrates’ Court
The ECLC Box Hill office assists people who live, work or study in Boroondara, Manningham or Whitehorse.
ECLC – Boronia office
Outreach: Ringwood Family Relationships Centre, Ringwood Magistrates’ Court and Rowville
The ECLC Boronia office assists people who live, work or study in Knox or Maroondah.
Tel: 1300 325 200
ECLC – Healesville office
Outreach: Lilydale, Monbulk, Ringwood Magistrates’ Court and Yarra Junction
The ECLC Healesville office assists people who live, work or study in the Yarra Ranges.
Tel: 1300 325 200
Emma House Domestic Violence Services
www.emmahouse.org.au
Outreach: Camperdown, Hamilton, Portland and Terang
Tel: 1800 366 238
Environmental Justice Australia (EJA)
www.envirojustice.org.au
Tel: 8341 3100; 1300 336 842
EJA is a not-for-profit legal practice that uses litigation and advocacy to protect nature.
First Step Legal
www.firststep.org.au
Tel: 9537 3177
First Step Legal is a not-for-profit mental health, addiction and legal services hub.
Fitzroy Legal Service (FLS)
FLS – Fitzroy and Reservoir
www.fls.org.au
Tel: 9419 3744 (Fitzroy); 9419 3744 (Reservoir)
Gippsland Community Legal Service (GCLS)
www.gcls.org.au
Tel: 5135 9550; 1800 004 402
The GCLS assists people who live, work or study in Gippsland (including the Bass Coast, Baw Baw, East Gippsland, the Latrobe Valley, South Gippsland and Wellington).
Goulburn Valley Community Legal Centre (see ARC Justice)
Human Rights Law Centre
www.hrlc.org.au
Tel: 8636 4450
Hume Riverina Community Legal Service (HRCLS)
www.hrcls.org.au
Tel: (02) 6055 8090; 1800 918 377
The HRCLS assists people who live in north-east Victoria.
inTouch Legal Centre (iTLC)
www.intouch.org.au/intouch-legal-centre
Tel: 9413 6500
iTLC provides legal advice and assistance to people receiving family violence case management support from the inTouch Multicultural Centre against Family Violence.
Inner Melbourne Community Legal
imcl.org.au
Tel: 9328 1885; 9376 4355
This centre, which arose from a merger of Flemington Kensington Community Legal and Inner Melbourne Community Legal, provides services to people who live, work or study in Flemington or Kensington. Its office at 22 Bellair Street, Kensington, is closed for renovation.
JobWatch
www.jobwatch.org.au
Tel: 9662 1933 (callers from metro Melbourne);
1800 331 617 (callers from rural Victoria)
JobWatch is an employment rights legal centre.
Justice Connect
www.justiceconnect.org.au
Tel: 8636 4400
Justice Connect provides access to justice through pro bono legal work. Justice Connect has the following services: Homeless Law, Seniors Law, Domestic Building Legal Service, and Not-for-profit Law.
Law and Advocacy Centre for Women
www.lacw.org.au
Tel: 9448 8930
Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre (see ARC Justice)
Mallee Family Care Community Legal Centre
www.mfclegalcentre.com.au
Tel: 5023 5966; 1800 243 002
Outreach (Victoria): Kerang, Robinvale and Swan Hill
Mental Health Legal Centre (MHLC)
www.mhlc.org.au
Tel: 9629 4422
The MHLC provides a free and confidential legal service to anyone who has experienced mental illness in Victoria where their legal problem relates to their mental illness.
Monash Law Clinics
www.monashlawclinics.com.au
Tel: 1800 860 333
Moonee Valley Legal Service (MVLS)
www.mvls.org.au
Tel: 9376 7929
Outreach: Avondale Heights, Flemington, Moonee Ponds and Niddrie
The MVLS assists people who live, work or study in the Murray Mallee region of north-west Victoria (Buloke, Gannawarra, Hindmarsh, Loddon, Mildura, Swan Hill and Yarriambiack).
Northern Community Legal Centre
www.northernclc.org.au
Tel: 9310 4376
Peninsula Community Legal Centre (PCLC)PCLC – Frankston office (head office)
www.pclc.org.au
Tel: 9783 3600; 1800 064 784
Q+Law
www.fls.org.au/how-we-can-help/qlaw/
Tel: 9968 1002
Outreach: Queerspace, Carlton; Your Community Health, Reservoir East
Q+Law is a partnership between Fitzroy Legal Service and Queerspace. It provides free legal advice for and by LGBTIQA+ people.
Refugee Legal
www.refugeelegal.org.au
Tel: (admin) 9413 0101
Tel (legal advice line): 9413 0100 (Wednesday and Friday, 10am to 2pm)
Refugee Legal provides free specialist legal assistance to people seeking asylum, to refugees and to disadvantaged migrants.
Seniors Rights Victoria (SRV)
www.seniorsrights.org.au
Tel: 9655 2129
The SRV legal team offers legal advice on matters specifically related to ageing, such as elder abuse, exploitation and discrimination of older people.
Social Security Rights Victoria (SSRV)
www.ssrv.org.au
Tel: (general enquiries) 9481 0299
Tel: (legal assistance) 9481 0355
Tel: (legal assistance, rural callers) 1800 094 164
SSRV is a community legal centre that specialises in social security (i.e. Centrelink) issues.
South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS)
www.smls.com.au
Tel: 9545 7400 (Springvale); 9038 8002 (Narre Warren)
SouthPort Community Legal Service (SPCLS)
www.southportcls.com.au
Tel: 9646 6066
Southside Justice
www.southsidejustice.org.au
Tel: 7037 3200
Tenants Victoria
www.tenantsvic.org.au
Tel (renter support line): 9416 2577 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1.30pm)
Tel (admin): 9411 1444
Tenants Victoria helps tenants with their tenancy issues and assists individuals to use their tenancy rights.
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)
www.vals.org.au
Tel: 9418 5999; 1800 064 865 (Preston)
Tel: 0400 118 392 (Ballarat)
Tel: 0491 176 546 (Mildura)
Tel: 1800 064 865 (Morwell)
Tel: 0490 884 944 (Shepparton)
Tel: 0490 119 097 (Swan Hill)
Tel: 0491 176 545 (Warrnambool)
VALS provides legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who need help with a criminal, family or civil law matter.
Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service
www.villamanta.org.au
Tel (admin): 5260 1845
Tel (legal advice line): 1800 014 111
Villamanta is a specialist disability legal service, only available for people with legal issues related to their disability.
West Heidelberg Community Legal Service
www.bchs.org.au/services/whclegal/
Tel: 9450 2002
Westjustice: Western Community Legal Centre
www.westjustice.org.au
Tel: 9749 7720 (Footscray, Sunshine and Werribee)
Whittlesea Community Connections: Community Legal Service
www.whittleseacommunityconnections.org.au/community-services/community-legal-services/
Tel: 9401 6666
Provides services for people who live, work or study in the City of Whittlesea.
Women’s Legal Service Victoria
www.womenslegal.org.au
Tel: 8622 0600; 1800 133 302
Provides free legal services to women in Victoria.
Youthlaw: Young People’s Legal Rights Centre
www.youthlaw.asn.au
Tel: 9113 9500
Youthlaw provides free legal advice for people aged under 25 years old.
Young Workers Centre: Legal Centre
www.youngworkers.org.au/legal_centre
Tel: 1800 714 754
Provides advice and assistance to young people about their rights at work.
Legal services that can help
Chapter: 2.3: Legal services that can help
Contributor: Compiled by Victoria Legal Aid and Fitzroy Legal Service
Current as of: 1 September 2024
Law Handbook Page: 80
Next Section: 3: Fines, infringements and criminal law
