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Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities

Legal Aid NSW specialist service.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the various lands we live and work on within New South Wales.

We recognise continuing connection to land, water and community and the right of Aboriginal people and communities to self-determination.

We pay our respects to Elders both past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities or ‘CLSAC’ is a team that provides confidential legal help to Aboriginal clients, living in regional and remote areas of New South Wales and Aboriginal women in custody. 

Many of CLSAC staff are First Nations people.

What did the evaluation of CLSAC say?

A 2019 evaluation of CLSAC said:

  • CLSAC is a warm, compassionate and respectful legal service
  • Aboriginal people trust CLSAC and tell family and friends about it
  • CLSAC has deep respect for our clients, culture and community
  • We collaborate with other services in and outside of Legal Aid NSW
  • We approach problems from many levels – individual, community and systemic

CLSAC helps Aboriginal clients from these communities:

BaryulgilMaclean
Batemans BayMungindi
BodallaMogo
BoggabillaMoree
BourkeMoruya
BrewarrinaTabulam
CondobolinToomelah
CorakiWallaga Lake
DaretonWilcannia
Lake CargelligoYamba
Aboriginal Women Leaving Custody

CLSAC also regularly visits Aboriginal women in custody for community legal education at:

  • Silverwater Women's Correctional Centre
  • Dillwynia Correctional Centre
  • Mid-North Coast Correctional Centre.

Follow up advice appointments are arranged via AVL.

If you’re an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person in NSW with a civil law issue you can call CLSAC’s free telephone advice service on 1800 793 017.

We give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people advice on civil law issues, like:

  • money problems (like loans, debts, fines, funeral insurance and scams)
  • housing problems (like if you need housing, need repairs, are behind in rent or are being evicted, or you have been blacklisted from housing)
  • Centrelink problems
  • police complaints
  • Stolen Generations Reparation Scheme applications and reviews
  • Working with Children checks

An Aboriginal financial counsellor works in our team to help with money problems.

We help people connect to other services they need.

We do legal education work on topics the communities we visit are interested in.

We provide a respectful, warm and compassionate service.

To contact the Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities or to make a referral: 

If you are a First Nations woman in custody with a civil law issue, you can call CLSAC via the CADL:

  • Dial #11 (Legal Aid) 
  • ask for the Aboriginal civil law team.
CLSAC evaluation report

CLSAC evaluation report PDF | English | September 2023 | 3 mb

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