Victoria Legal Aid

Who is eligible for help

Some of our services are available to everyone. You may be able to get other legal help depending on your circumstances.

Our legal information is available to all Victorians. Unfortunately, other services and legal advice are limited to people who need them most. We follow guidelines to try and make our legal help as fair as possible.

If we can’t help you, we may be able to refer you to other services that can.

Anyone can get free information by:

You can also get legal help over the phone, but there may be a wait time.

Depending on your circumstances, we may be able to:

To get a lawyer to run your case, you must be eligible for a grant of legal assistance. To decide whether you are eligible, we look at:

  • what your case is about
  • the likely benefit to you
  • if helping you can benefit the public
  • your financial situation.

If you are going through a separation or divorce that involves family dispute, you may be able to use our Family Dispute Resolution Service instead of going to court. You will only be able to take part if you or the other parent in the dispute is eligible to get a lawyer to run your case.

There are some things we don’t give legal advice about. We may still provide links, information and referrals to other organisations. Legal issues we don’t give advice about include:

Legal issue

Other organisations and information

Building contracts and disputes

Domestic Building Legal Service, Justice ConnectExternal Link

Domestic Building Dispute Resolution VictoriaExternal Link

Consumer Affairs VictoriaExternal Link

Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Our building, buying and selling houses and land topic

Business and commercial matters – including commercial tenancy

Small Business CommissionExternal Link

Business VictoriaExternal Link

Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Indigenous Business AustraliaExternal Link 1800 107 107

Our business and commercial issues topic

Consumer law

Consumer Action Law CentreExternal Link

Consumer Affairs VictoriaExternal Link

Koori HelplineExternal Link at Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 66 15 11

Our consumer complaints topic

Employment law (except discrimination matters against workers)

For employees:

For employers:

Our employment law topic

Fencing and trees

Dispute Settlement Centre of VictoriaExternal Link

Private lawyer referral from the Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Landlords with tenancy issues

Consumer Affairs VictoriaExternal Link

Private lawyer referral from the Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Our renting topic

Migration visas related to business, skilled migrants, students, tourism

Migration agent (Migration Agent Registration Authority can provide referral)External Link

Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Our immigration and migration topic

Organisations seeking advice

Justice ConnectExternal Link

Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

Wills and estates

Private lawyer referral from the Law Institute of VictoriaExternal Link

State TrusteesExternal Link

Probate Office of the Supreme Court of VictoriaExternal Link

Our Wills and estates topic

You can find a private lawyer near you through the Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral ServiceExternal Link . All law firms included in the Legal Referral Service provide a free 30-minute interview. You can use this interview to understand more about the legal issue and discuss the available options and how much they will cost. Note that the free interview is not 30 minutes of free legal advice.

  • consumer scams and cybercrime
  • energy disputes
  • environmental law
  • financial planning/asset management/trusts
  • horse agistment
  • intellectual property (copyright, patents, trademarks) queries
  • insurance and income protection queries
  • motor vehicle accidents
  • occupational accreditation (except working with children checks)
  • owner’s corporation (body corporate) queries
  • personal injury (medical negligence, motor vehicle-related injuries, public liability, occupier’s liability, workplace-related injuries)
  • privacy
  • product liability
  • property disputes and conveyancing (adverse possession, easements, subdivision disputes, caveats)
  • superannuation claims and appeals
  • taxation matters, including disputes with the State Revenue Office (except criminal offences)
  • town planning, development and environment disputes.

Disclaimer: The material in this print-out relates to the law as it applies in the state of Victoria. It is intended as a general guide only. Readers should not act on the basis of any material in this print-out without getting legal advice about their own particular situations. Victoria Legal Aid disclaims any liability howsoever caused to any person in respect of any action taken in reliance on the contents of the publication.

We help Victorians with their legal problems and represent those who need it most. Find legal answers, chat with us online, or call us. You can speak to us in English or ask for an interpreter. You can also find more legal information at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au

Reviewed 19 May 2022

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