How

can help you

Free legal advice and information

Help at court

Your rights

Everydaylegal

problems

Lawyers with

experience

Free workshops

What legal problems

can we help you with?

HOW LEGAL AID NSW CAN HELP YOU2

Everyday legal problems ■■ Your rights about goods, services and

contracts■■ Fines, bills and debt■■ Centrelink disputes ■■ Discrimination and harassment■■ Your rights at work■■ Eviction, repairs, rent or mortgage difficulties■■ Immigration issues■■ Elder abuse and older peoples’ rights■■ Help after natural disasters

What to do when your family relationship breaks down■■ Care and protection of children■■ Child support ■■ Separation and divorce■■ Parenting orders and grandparents’ rights■■ Domestic and family violence■■ Family dispute resolution conferences■■ Separate representation for children

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What to do if you are in trouble with the law■■ Getting help at court■■ If you’re under 18 and in trouble with the police ■■ Applying for bail ■■ Hearings in the Local Court to decide if there

is enough evidence for your case to go to trial (Committals)

■■ Defended hearings where there is a possibility of gaol

■■ Court sentences and appealing decisions

For more information about our services, visit our website

www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au

HOW LEGAL AID NSW CAN HELP YOU4

HOW LEGAL AID NSW CAN HELP YOU 5

What kind of help can we give you?

We offer free legal adviceWe offer free appointments of about 20 minutes to talk to a lawyer about your legal problem. To make an appointment call your nearest Legal Aid NSW office or visit our website to find the nearest service near you. See pages 14 – 15.

We give ‘grants of legal aid’ If you need ongoing legal help from a lawyer, you must apply for a ‘grant of legal aid’. A grant of legal aid means that a lawyer who works for Legal Aid NSW, or a private lawyer who is paid by us, will represent you. To apply for a grant of legal aid, you must fill out an application form. Forms are available from all our offices, from duty lawyers at local courts and on our website. You can also apply for legal aid through a private lawyer who does legal aid work. A private lawyer can charge you for any work they do that is not covered by a grant of legal aid.It is best to get legal advice before you apply for legal aid. You may able to get help with your legal problem without needing to go to court. When deciding whether to give you a grant of legal aid, we look at:■■ what you want legal help for■■ what you earn and what you own (this is called

the means test), and■■ other factors that show whether it is reasonable

to grant legal aid, including how strong your case is (this is called the merit test)

To see if you are likely to get a grant of legal aid under the means test, use the means test indicator on our website.A grant of legal aid is not free. Most people will have to pay a contribution to their legal costs.

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We have specialist legal services

Children’s Legal Service and Youth HotlineWe advise and represent children involved in criminal cases in the Children’s Courts and have duty lawyers at other courts. Call (02) 8688 3800.If you are under 18 and need urgent advice, call the Youth Hotline: 1800 10 18 10. Mon – Thurs 9am – 12pm, Fri – Sun and public holidays, 24 hours.

Child Support ServiceCall (02) 9633 9916 or 1800 451 784 (outside Sydney metropolitan area).

Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities We can help with money worries, discrimination, problems with the police, housing and Centrelink problems. To find out more about the service and which communities we visit, call (02) 9219 5057 or freecall 1800 793 017.

Mental Health Advocacy ServicePeople with mental health problems and their families can call (02) 9745 4277.

Prisoners Legal ServicePrisoners can contact the Prisoners Legal Service on the common auto dial list (CADL) as a free call — just press 11# (Legal Aid NSW) and ask for Prisoners Legal Service.Friends and family can call (02) 9219 5000 and ask for the Prisoners Legal Service.

Veterans’ Advocacy ServiceTo find out about veteran’s rights and entitlements, call (02) 9219 5148 or veterans@legalaid.nsw.gov.auYou can get more information about all our specialist services on our website.

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HOW LEGAL AID NSW CAN HELP YOU8

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We have duty lawyers at courtIf you have to go to a Local Court about a criminal matter, you can speak to a duty lawyer. They are available at most Local Courts in NSW.If this is your first time in court and you want to see a duty lawyer, then you should be at court by 9am. The duty lawyer may not be able to help you finalise your case on the first day. You may need to adjourn your case, which means it will be postponed to another day.

We offer free workshops and webinars We run free workshops, information sessions and webinars to educate the public about the law and how to get legal help. We also give talks to community groups, schools and community workers about legal rights, legal problems and changes to the law. Look at our website for what’s on and when: www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/what-we-do/workshops

We have free publications and resourcesWe produce easy to understand factsheets, brochures, DVDs and resources to help people with their legal problem. A number of these are translated into different languages. All our publications can be viewed or ordered on our website: www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/publications

There are some things we don’t doThere are some things that Legal Aid does not do. For example, we don’t advise or represent people at court for personal injury, taxation or business matters.We also don’t attend police stations or give you telephone advice if you are arrested. However, if you are under 18 you can call our Youth Hotline: 1800 10 18 10.

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Where can you get more information?

LawAccess NSWThe best place to start is to call the free telephone helpline—LawAccess NSW—who can help you straight away. They will give you free information and in some cases legal advice, about your legal problem. Or they may refer you to another service. You can call LawAccess NSW: 1300 888 529. You can also visit their website: www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au

Community Legal Centres (CLCs)CLCs give free legal advice and help with all kinds of legal problems. Call 1300 888 529 or search for a centre in your area: www.clcnsw.org.au.

Private lawyersThe Law Society of NSW can refer you to private lawyers in your area. It can also tell you about private lawyers who do legal aid work. Call the Law Society’s Solicitor Referral Service: (02) 9926 0300.

Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services (WDVCASs)WDVCASs assist women and children experiencing domestic violence get legal protection through the court. Call 1300 888 529 or check our website for your closest service.

Community Justice CentresA free mediation service for people in dispute with friends, family members or neighbours. To find a centre near you, call 1800 990 777 or visit: www.cjc.justice.nsw.gov.au.

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Public librariesLegal information is available on the Find Legal Answers website: www.legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au and in local public libraries across NSW.

Best for Kids websiteThe Best for Kids website has legal information and resources for young people and families on a wide range of legal issues: www.bestforkids.org.au

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HOW LEGAL AID NSW CAN HELP YOU 13

Are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander? If you are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander you can get free help from all Legal Aid NSW offices or from the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS). Call the ALS on 1800 765 767. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children can also get help from Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre: 1800 686 587 or the Indigenous Women’s Contact Line: 1800 639 784.

Do you need an interpreter?If you need someone who speaks your language to help make an appointment with Legal Aid NSW, call the Translating and Interpreter Service (TIS) 131 450. If you need an interpreter in your language on the day of your advice session with Legal Aid NSW, let us know at the time when you make an appointment. We will arrange an interpreter for free. If you are going to court and need an interpreter, ask you legal aid lawyer to arrange one.

Where can you find us?We have offices across NSW. We also visit over 200 other locations in metropolitan and regional NSW where you can drop in or make an appointment to discuss your legal problem. You can find your nearest Legal Aid NSW office or other places we go by visiting Get legal help on our website: www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au

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Legal Aid NSW offices Our offices are listed below. You can also visit our website at www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au

Central Sydney 323 Castlereagh StreetHaymarket 2000Ph: 02 9219 5000TTY: 02 9219 5126

Metropolitan OfficesBankstown Level 7, Civic Tower, Cnr Rickard Rd & Jacobs Sts Bankstown 2200Ph: 02 9707 4555Blacktown Kildare Court, Level 2, 13 – 17 Kildare RoadBlacktown 2148Ph: 02 9621 4800Burwood Level 4, 74 – 76 Burwood Road Burwood 2134Ph: 02 9747 6155TTY: 02 9747 0214Campbelltown Suite 1, Level 4, 171 – 179 Queen StreetCampbelltown 2560Ph: 02 4628 2922Fairfield Suite 1, Level 2, 25 Smart StreetFairfield 2165Ph: 02 9727 3777

Liverpool Level 4, Interdell Centre, 45 – 47 Scott StreetLiverpool 2170Ph: 02 9601 1200Parramatta (Criminal Law)Parramatta Justice Precinct, Level 1, 160 Marsden Street Parramatta 2150Ph: 02 8688 3800TTY: 02 9687 7538Parramatta (Family and Civil Law)Level 5, 91 Phillip StreetParramatta 2150Ph: 02 9891 1600Penrith NSW Government OfficesLevel 4, 2-6 Station St Penrith 2750 Ph: 02 4732 3077Sutherland Ground Floor, Endeavour House, 3 – 5 Stapleton AvenueSutherland 2232Ph: 02 9521 3733

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Regional OfficesCoffs Harbour 41 Little StreetCoffs Harbour 2450Ph: 02 6651 7899Dubbo 64 Talbragar StreetDubbo 2830Ph: 02 6885 4233Gosford 92 – 100 Donnison StreetGosford 2250Ph: 02 4324 5611Lismore Suite 3, Level 4, Westlawn Building, 29 Molesworth StreetLismore 2480Ph: 02 6621 2082Newcastle (Family and Civil Law)Level 2, 51 – 55 Bolton StreetNewcastle 2300Ph: 02 4929 5482Newcastle (Criminal Law)Level 3, 400 Hunter StNewcastle 2300Ph: 02 4929 5482Nowra Level 2, 59 Berry StreetNowra 2541Ph: 02 4422 4351

Orange Suite 4, 95 Byng StreetOrange 2800Ph: 02 6362 8022Port Macquarie 107 William Street Port Macquarie 2444Ph: 02 5525 1600Riverina Murray – AlburySuite 1A, Level 1, 520 Swift StreetAlbury NSW 2640Ph: 02 6020 7200Riverina Murray – Wagga Wagga Ground Floor, 74 – 76 Fitzmaurice StreetWagga Wagga 2650Ph: 02 6921 6588Tamworth Level 1, 424 – 426 Peel StreetTamworth 2340Ph: 02 6766 6322Wollongong Graovac House, 73 Church StreetWollongong 2500Ph: 02 4228 8299

The information is correct when it is printed, but the information may change.

Order brochures online at www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au (go to Order a publication) or email publications@legalaid.nsw.gov.au

LanguagesThis brochure is available in Arabic, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Croatian, English, Farsi, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Khmer, Laotian, Macedonian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Do you need an interpreter?If you need help to talk to us in your language, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450 (9am – 5pm).

Do you find it hard to hear or speak?■■ If you find it hard to hear or speak, call

the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au

■■ call LawAccess NSW on 1300 889 529

AUG 2017 MNLA 60172

www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au