The Law Handbook 2024

62 NOTE This chapter is current as at 1 September 2023. What is legal aid? ‘Legal aid’ refers to free or low-cost legal services that help people resolve their legal problems. In Victoria, this includes services such as: • legal information; • legal advice; • ongoing legal help; • legal representation (e.g. in court). Who provides legal aid? The agencies that provide legal aid services can be grouped as follows: • Victoria Legal Aid; • community legal centres (e.g. Fitzroy Legal Service); • specialist community legal centres that focus on particular legal areas (e.g. the Mental Health Legal Centre, Environmental Justice Australia); • specialist community legal centres that help particular groups (e.g. the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Women’s Legal Service, Youthlaw); • private law firms offering free legal advice and assistance (through grants of legal assistance, or by referral from Justice Connect or the Law Institute of Victoria); • a range of other organisations. A list of agencies that provide legal services can be found in Chapter 2.4: Legal services that can help. Victoria Legal Aid Victoria Legal Aid ( VLA ) is a government-funded agency set up to ensure that people who cannot afford to pay a private lawyer can get help with their legal problems. VLA provides: • free legal information for all Victorians; • free legal advice for people who meet the eligibility criteria; • duty lawyers in most courts and tribunals; • family dispute resolution for disadvantaged families and children, and other specialist resolution and advocacy services; • legal assistance grants for people who meet the eligibility criteria. VLA can help people with a range of legal problems including those relating to criminal matters, family separation, family violence, mental health and discrimination. Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) Head office: Level 9, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000 Tel (Legal Help phone line): 1300 792 387 Web: www.legalaid.vic.gov.au For a full list of VLA offices and their contact details, see Chapter 2.4: Legal services that can help. Free legal information Anyone can get free information by: • goingtothe‘Ineedlegalinformationabout…’section of VLA’s website (www.legalaid.vic.gov.au) . Each topichasinformationaboutthelawandwhoyoucan contact for more help; • ordering VLA’s free publications and resources; • using the web chat service on VLA’s website; • visiting VLA’s public law library to access legislation, case law and other legal materials; • phoning the Legal Help phone line on 1300 792 387 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm). You can speak to someone in English or ask for an interpreter. You can access Legal Help in the following languages: Arabic: 9269 0127; Bahasa (Malay): 1300 792 387; Bosanski (Bosnian): 9269 0164; Cantonese: 9269 0161; Español (Spanish): 9269 0384; Greek: 9269 0167; 2.2 Contributor: Victoria Legal Aid How legal aid can help