The Law Handbook 2024

Chapter 2.2: How legal aid can help 63 Hindi: 9269 0487; Hokkien: 1300 792 387; Hrvatski (Croatian): 9269 0164; Mandarin: 9269 0212; Moba (Ukrainian): 9269 0390; Polski (Polish): 9269 0228; Samoan: 1300 792 387; Serbian: 9269 0332; Thuoeñjäñ (Dinka): 1300 792 387; Turkçe (Turkish): 9269 0386; Urdu: 9269 0389; and Vietnamese: 9269 0391. If you speak another language, call the Translating Interpreting Service (131 450) and ask to be put through to VLA’s Legal Help. If you are deaf or have a speech impairment, you can use the National Relay Service (www. relayservice.gov.au) to phone VLA over the internet. Free legal advice Who can see a lawyer? VLA lawyers help people who: • can’t afford a private lawyer; • have a cognitive disability, an acquired brain injury or mental illness; • are in a psychiatric in-patient unit and have a Mental Health Tribunal hearing; • are experiencing or at risk of homelessness; • are a child or young person going to the Children’s Court; • can’t speak, read or write well in English; • are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander; • are at court for a family violence matter or are at risk of family violence; • are in custody or facing a serious penalty. A serious penalty is where there is a real risk that a person will go to jail, or be put on a community corrections order, or get a substantial fine. Phone VLA (tel: 1300 792 387) to find out if you are eligible for legal aid services. Legal problems VLA can help you with VLA gives free legal advice on a range of matters: • criminal matters, including some serious traffic offences; • family separation matters; • child protection; • child support; • family violence; • discrimination and sexual harassment; • Centrelink and social security law; • debt recovery for people with debt; • guardianship and administration matters at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal; • infringement fines – if you have special circum­ stances that have contributed to you getting infringement notices; • matters before the Mental Health Tribunal; • refugee and some immigration matters; • some tenancy matters for tenants only. Legal problems VLA cannot help you with There are some matters and areas of law that VLA does not give legal advice about. These include: • business and commercial matters – contact Business Victoria (business.vic.gov.au) – contact the Victorian Small Business Commissioner (www.vsbc.vic.gov.au) ; • buying property, building contracts and disputes – contact Consumer Affairs Victoria (www. consumer.vic.gov.au) – see Chapter 6.3: Building or renovating a house; • defamation – see Chapter 11.2: Defamation and your rights; • intellectual property law – contact IP Australia (www.ipaustralia.gov.au) – see Chapter 7.6: Copyright; • pay disputes – contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (www. fairwork.gov.au) ; • work injuries – contact WorkSafe Victoria (www.worksafe.vic. gov.au) ; • fencing and trees – contact the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (www.disputes.vic.gov.au ); • wills and deceased estates – see Chapters 9.3: Wills, 9.4: Estates, and 9.5: Funerals. For the full list of matters that VLA does not provide help with, visit www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/who-eligible- help#legal-issues-we-dont-give-advice-about. How VLA can help Depending on your circumstances, VLA lawyers may be able to: • give you free legal advice – in person, by video conference or over the phone;