Legal Advocacy

CAAFLU provides culturally appropriate legal and support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have experienced or are experiencing domestic and family violence or sexual assault.

• legal advice and representation
• advocacy
• information
• referrals
• support

DCLS is a free, confidential service. We assist disadvantaged members of the community to protect their legal rights. We work towards a community where everyone has access to legal advice and support. We seek to challenge unjust laws and procedures, and to ensure that people are aware of their legal rights.

General Legal Service

The General Legal Service can provide free legal information and advice on most non-criminal matters including:

• employment
• credit and debt
• social security (Centrelink) rights
• discrimination

Tenants’ Advice Service

Provides information, advice, advocacy and support for tenants on all tenancy and related legal issues.

The TAS works to:

• Advise you on problems you are having with your landlord or real estate agent.
• Negotiate and advocate on your behalf with your landlord or real estate agent.
• Assist you with advice, documentation and in some cases representation before the Norther Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NTCAT).
• Talk to your community group or organisation about tenants’ rights
• Undertake activities to improve legislation and policies for residential tenants in the Northern Territory

Seniors and Disability Rights Service

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service is based in Darwin and regularly visits Katherine, Nhulunbuy and other locations across the Top End of the NT as required.

The Seniors and Disability Rights Service assists older people or people with disabilities and their representatives who:

• want to know about their rights and how to obtain them
• receive Commonwealth funded aged care services in residential facilities

We also provide:

• community awareness and education activities
• factsheets
• systemic advocacy, policy and law reform work
• NDIS planning and appeals support
• information, education and referrals through our Elder Abuse Information Line (1800 037 072)

A community-based legal service practising in planning and environmental law and providing legal advice & advocacy on public-interest planning & environmental law for individuals and groups. The service also provides education for community groups and engages in law reform.

Katherine Women’s Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a not-for-profit Community Legal Centre based in Katherine, Northern Territory. We are a specialist women’s legal service providing all women, and those who identify as women, in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region access to free and professional legal and support services, with a particular focus on the reduction of domestic, family and sexual violence. We also provide community legal education and undertake advocacy and law reform work in areas that improve gender equity and address gendered violence.

KWILS aims to ensure that all women in the Katherine region have access to free legal advice and representation in the following areas:

• Domestic, Family and Personal Violence
• Child protection
• Family Law
• Discrimination (age, sex, race, gender etc)
• Employment (including sexual harassment)
• Government complaints (including the conduct of Police, Corrections & Education)
• Health Care Complaints Commission (including the conduct of Health Care, Aged Care and Disability Care Providers)
• Coronial Inquests
• Tenancy Law (public and private tenancies)
• Social Security/Centrelink
• Consumer law (Credit & Debts)
• Victims of Crime and Motor Accidents Compensation

Services offer to help participants gain their independency and also making their own Choice or Giving them the Freedom, Choice and Control.

Provides legal assistance including advice and casework for indigenous women, children and young people affected by family or domestic violence. North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service Provides legal assistance, referral and support for indigenous men, women, children and young people affected by family or domestic violence and sexual assault. NAAFVLS also focuses on raising community awareness and implementing prevention initiatives to address the problems of family violence.

We provide high quality advice and representation and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Central Australia.

Our vision is justice, dignity and equal rights and treatment before the law for Aboriginal people in Central Australia. Services include:

• Criminal Law
• Civil Law
• Family Law
• Community Legal Education
• Welfare Rights
• Youth Justice Advocacy
• Social Justice
• Kunga Program

We provide free and confidential legal information, referral to other helpful services and legal advice appointments for most legal problems in the NT.

Call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343. The Helpline operator will talk about what type of problem you need help with and connect you to the correct office at Legal Aid to make an appointment. We provide legal advice over the phone, or in person if that is preferred.

Your nearest Legal Aid office runs legal advice clinics in family law, criminal law and civil law matters.

Ongoing legal representation is available to people who qualify for a grant of legal aid. We require you to meet a financial means test and your legal problem must be something we are funded to provide representation for.

Take your first step towards a solution and call the Legal Aid Helpline on 1800 019 343

TEWLS provides free civil and family law services, including legal information and referral, advice, casework and representation services, community legal education, and advocacy to women in the Top End.

TEWLS is able to provide free legal advice and legal information and referral services to all women and people identifying as women in the Greater Darwin region. Women wishing to access our services are able to seek free legal help in person at the TEWLS office or at our various clinic locations, as well as over the phone.

How we can help

TEWLS provides holistic and culturally appropriate legal and related non-legal services.

For more information about how TEWLS can help you, please see How We Can Help.

Legal advice and representation

TEWLS is able to provide free legal advice to all women and people identifying as women in the Greater Darwin region, including legal information and referral services. TEWLS also provides casework and representation services on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about TEWLS’ provision of legal advice and representation services, please see Legal Advice & Representation.

Areas of Law

TEWLS provides legal services in most areas of civil and family law, including:

• Family Law, including separation, parenting, property and divorce
• Domestic and Family Violence
• Debts
• Tenancy and Housing
• Complaints
• Compensation, including victims of crime compensation
• Superannuation and Estates
• Employment Law

For more information about the areas of law that we are able to assist with, please see Areas of Law.

Where can I meet with TEWLS?

TEWLS provides legal services in-house at our Darwin office, as well as at various outreach and clinic locations.

For more information about where you can meet with TEWLS, please see Clinic Locations.

Community Legal Education

TEWLS has a strong commitment to community legal education – we believe that by empowering women with knowledge and information about the legal system, women and the community at large will be able to better access the legal system.

For more information about TEWLS’ Community Legal Education programs and how you can contact TEWLS to discuss legal education workshops and/or campaigns, please see Community Legal Education.

Not in the Northern Territory?

If you are in a state or territory other than the Northern Territory, or need a different community legal centre, please see the National Association of Community Legal Centres website for information about a community legal centre, including women’s legal service, in your local area.