Safety
Free and low-cost legal help in Australia
Legal Aid in each state, Community Legal Centres, specialist services for women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, refugees, tenants, and people with disabilities.
Published 17 May 2026 · Last reviewed 17 May 2026
Legal Aid (each state)
- Legal Aid NSW: https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/
- Victoria Legal Aid: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/
- Legal Aid Queensland: https://www.legalaid.qld.gov.au/
- Legal Services Commission of SA: https://lsc.sa.gov.au/
- Legal Aid WA: https://www.legalaid.wa.gov.au/
- Legal Aid Tasmania: https://www.legalaid.tas.gov.au/
- Legal Aid ACT: https://www.legalaidact.org.au/
- Northern Territory Legal Aid: https://legalaid.nt.gov.au/
Legal Aid has a 24/7 phone hotline for arrest situations: Law Mob/Legal Aid hotline numbers vary by state — your state's main Legal Aid page lists it.
Community Legal Centres
- Run by non-profits, focused on people experiencing disadvantage. Free.
- Find your local one: https://clcs.org.au/legal-help/
- They cover tenancy, family, debt, employment, discrimination and consumer matters.
- Often have appointment-based and drop-in clinics. Some specialise (e.g. women's legal services, refugee legal services, environmental defenders).
Specialist services
- Women's Legal Services — family law, family violence (free for women).
- Aboriginal Legal Services — criminal, family, civil for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) — for asylum seekers and refugee visa applicants.
- Tenants' Union / Tenants' Advice Service — see renting overview by state.
- Disability Advocacy NSW / VIC / etc.
Law Society referral
- Each state's Law Society runs a referral service that can connect you to a private lawyer (usually with a first 30 minutes free).