The Law Handbook 2024

74 Section 2: Getting help Universities RMIT, Melbourne and La Trobe Universities provide legal services for students of their universities. These services are provided by paid solicitors who are employed by the university. These solicitors write letters, conduct negotiations and arrange representation in court if necessary. Students of Monash University who need legal advice are referred to Monash Law Clinics, a community legal service staffed by Monash University law students. The service operates in Clayton and in Melbourne’s CBD. For contact details, see Chapter 2.4: Legal services that can help. State Trustees State Trustees provides a range of trustee, executor and administrator services, including: • will preparation; • enduring powers of guardianship and attorney (financial and medical treatment); • trusts administration; • deceased estates management; • management services for people with disabilities; • genealogical research and beneficiary tracking; • investment and taxation services; • funeral funds and funds management. There is a charge for these services; you should ask about this when you make an appointment. State Trustees have offices throughout Victoria. State Trustees 1 McNab Avenue, Footscray Vic 3011 Tel: 1300 138 672 Web: www.statetrustees.com.au The State Trustees also has offices in Dandenong and Bendigo; see the website for address and contact details. Small estates and the Probate Office For a relatively small fee, the Probate Office will prepare the paperwork required to apply for a grant of representation (probate or administration), under the small estates optional service. A small estate is one where a person’s assets at the date of their death are below the value set by the government each year, currently $125 080. There are no other eligibility requirements to use the service. In eligible cases, a small estates officer can be instructed by the applicant, and prepare and lodge an application on their behalf. The assistance provided by the Court reduces the need for people to hire a solicitor and acts as a service to the public. For further information and fees, see www. supremecourt.vic.gov.au/wills-and-probate/ support/small-estates , or contact: Probate Office 450 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Tel: 8600 2006 Email: probate@supcourt.vic.gov.au Tenants Victoria For advice on tenants’ rights, rental disputes, eviction, investigation of complaints, and assistance with taking and defending legal action, contact Tenants Victoria on 1800 068 860 or visit www.tenantsvic.org.au. Financial counsellors Financial counsellors can provide advice about debts, budgeting and debt recovery procedures. They can also provide paralegal advice on credit, debt and bankruptcy. For a list of financial counsellors, see Chapter 5.4: Financial counselling services. Interpreters TIS National A telephone interpreter service (TIS National) is provided by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Home Affairs. For assistance, onsite interpreting services, or to book an interpreter, contact TIS. The interpreter service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is arranged through a network of on-call interpreters. More than 150 languages are available, although there may sometimes be a delay while an interpreter is located. TIS National provides free interpreting services to non-English speaking Australian citizens or permanent residents communicating with approved