Legal Aid NSW

• Fines, bills and debt
• Centrelink disputes
• Discrimination and harassment
• Your rights at work
• Eviction, repairs, rent or mortgage difficulties
• Immigration issues
• Elder abuse and older peoples’ rights
• Help after natural disasters

• Care and protection of children
• Child support
• Separation and divorce
• Parenting orders and grandparents’ rights
• Domestic and family violence
• Family dispute resolution conferences
• Separate representation for children

• Getting help at court
• If you’re under 18 and in trouble with the police
• Applying for bail
• Hearings in the Local Court to decide if there is enough evidence for your case to go to trial (committals)
• Defended hearings where there is a possibility of gaol
• Court sentences and appealing decisions

Legal information and advice 

We offer free legal information and can provide advice about certain legal problems. Call LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529 to talk about your legal issue.

Ongoing help

If you need ongoing legal help from a lawyer, you can apply for a ‘grant of legal aid’. A grant of legal aid means that a lawyer who works for Legal Aid NSW, or a private lawyer who is paid by us, will represent you in your case. A private lawyer can charge you for any work they do that is not covered by a grant of legal aid.

It is best to speak to a lawyer and get legal advice before you apply for legal aid. A lawyer can help you work out the nature of your legal problem and if you may be eligible for a grant of aid.

A lawyer may be able to help you apply for legal aid.

A lawyer may be able to help you with your legal problem without needing to go to court.

When deciding whether to give you a grant of legal aid, we look at:

• what you want legal help for
• what you earn and what you own (this is called the means test), and
• other factors that show whether it is reasonable to grant legal aid, including how strong your case is (this is called the merit test).

A grant of legal aid is not free. Most people will have to pay a contribution to the legal costs of their case.

Children’s Legal Service and Youth Hotline

We advise and represent children involved in criminal cases. Call (02) 8688 3800. If you are under 18 and need urgent advice, call the Youth Hotline on 1800 101 810. The hotline is open Mon – Thurs 9am –  midnight, Fri – Sun and public holidays, 24 hours.

Child Support Service

We provide free advice and assistance to parents who have to pay financial support for children after separation, as well as to parents and carers who are or should be receiving financial support for children. Call (02) 9633 9916 or 1800 451 784 (outside Sydney metropolitan area).

Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities

We can help with money worries, discrimination, problems with the police, housing and Centrelink problems. Call (02) 9219 5057 or freecall 1800 793 017.

Disaster Response Legal Service

We can help people affected by bushfires, storms or floods, with their everyday legal problems. Call 1800 801 529.

Domestic Violence Unit

We are a specialist domestic and family violence service made up of lawyers and social workers. Call 1800 979 529.

Mental Health Advocacy Service

We provide free legal advice about mental health and guardianship law. Call 1300 888 529.

Prisoners Legal Service

Prisoners can contact us on the common auto dial list (CADL) as a free call — just press 11# (Legal Aid NSW) and ask for Prisoners Legal Service. Friends and family can call (02) 9219 5000 and ask for the Prisoners Legal Service.

Refugee Service

We can help newly arrived refugees and communities with their legal problems. Call (02) 8713 6725.

Respect at Work Legal Service (RAWLS)

We provide holistic and trauma-informed legal services for people who have experienced sexual harassment or discrimination in the workplace. Call (02) 9072 2333.

Veterans’ Advocacy Service

We assist war veterans, defence force members and their dependents to obtain entitlements. Call (02) 9219 5148.

You can get more information about all our specialist services on our website www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au 

If you have to go to a Local Court about a criminal matter, you can speak to a duty lawyer. They are available at most Local Courts in NSW.

If this is your first time in court and you want to see a duty lawyer, then you should be at court by 9am. The duty lawyer may not be able to help you finalise your case on the first day. You may need to adjourn your case, which means it will be postponed to another day.

We run free workshops and information sessions for the public, for schools and community groups.

We also run webinars on legal issues for community workers and the public.

Visit www.youtube.com/LegalAidNSW to view the latest webinars and online workshops, or visit our Communuty Legal Education page.

We have free publications, podcasts, videos, interactive guided pathways and other resources to help you with your legal problem.

For publications visit: www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/publications

For videos visit: www.youtube.com/LegalAidNSW

For podcasts visit: www.podbean.com/legalaidnsw

To sign up to our newsletters visit our News page

There are some things that Legal Aid NSW does not do. For example, we don’t advise or represent people at court for personal injury, taxation or business matters. 

We also don’t attend police stations or give you telephone advice if you are arrested. However, if you are under 18 you can call our Youth Hotline: 1800 101 810.