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Legal Aid Western Australia
Legal Aid Western Australia (LAWA) is an independent statutory body set up by the West Australian Legal Aid Commission Act 1976. LAWA provides information, advice and other legal help.
LAWA offers a number of programs that can help people with their family law concerns, including:
- information services – telephone information line, website (link below) and a range of publications and kits
- legal advice – face-to-face, by telephone, or by video-conference to people in remote areas
- minor assistance – help to negotiate, write letters, draft documents or prepare to represent yourself at court
- legal representation through lawyers working for Legal Aid and private lawyers, including duty lawyer services in the Family Court, Magistrate’s Court and Children’s Court. Only people with incomes and assets below a certain level get their own lawyer.
LAWA also provides specialist services through its:
- Child Support Legal Unit
- Domestic Violence Legal Unit
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Unit
- Family Court services
- Children’s Court services
- independent children’s lawyers and separate representatives.
How do I get legal advice?
Call the LAWA Infoline to speak with an experienced advisor. The advisor will help you to work out the issues that affect you and, if possible, answer your questions over the telephone.
If the advisor thinks you need more assistance you may be offered an appointment at a LAWA office or outreach program, or booked in for an interview with a lawyer by telephone or video-conference. Where the advisor believes it would be best for you to apply for a grant of assistance for legal representation, they will let you know who can assist or post you an application form.
Interpreters
Interpreters can be arranged free of charge. Call the LAWA Infoline and let the advisor know the language you usually speak. Telephone interpreter services can usually be arranged within 10 minutes.
Applying to the Family Court of Western Australia
You are strongly advised to get legal advice before making an application to the court.
No matter what your dispute is, you should try to reach an agreement before taking disputes to the Family Court if possible.
LAWA runs Alternative Dispute Resolution Conferences (ADR). LAWA’s ADR conferencing service is an accredited form of family dispute resolution and can help with disputes about children or property matters.
Ring the Infoline for further information about these services.
Contact
Legal Aid Western Australia Infoline: 1300 650 579 (cost of a local call from landlines; calls made from mobile phones are charged at a higher rate), TTY 1800 241 216.
LAWA has 10 offices around Western Australia and two outreach services. See the website for details.
More information
Related publications
How to run your family law case