1. What are Community Legal Centres?
Community legal centres are independent community organisations that provide free or low cost legal help to people when they need it most.
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There are 26 community legal centres, right across WA.
Some centres are place-based centres, who help people who live in an area, like the South West of WA.
Some centres are specialists in an area of law, like employment or immigration.
There are 3 Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) which are specialist Aboriginal legal services supporting people with an experience of family violence.
Community Legal Centres can help you understand your rights, discuss your options, and provide legal advice.
2. What services do centres provide?
All community legal centres provide free legal help. These services can include:
- Information and advice
- Referral
- Casework and minor assistance
- Court representation and advocacy
- Duty lawyer services
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Some centres are also able to provide wraparound supports and services. This could include:
- Tenant advocacy
- Social worker support
- Financial counselling
- Disability advocacy
- Counselling
Community legal centres provide civil and family law services. Some also provide help with criminal law.
Community legal centres also provide legal education in their communities, to help people understand their rights and responsibilities, and advocate for better laws and greater access to justice.
Each community legal centre may offer different services, depending on the needs of their community and their capacity.
3. Who can get help from a community legal centre?
Community legal centres give free legal help to people who live in their local area, or who are looking for advice in an area of law they specialise in. These services are usually targeted to people who cannot afford a private solicitor or who are experiencing other vulnerability or disadvantage.
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Some centres are set up to meet the needs of specific groups of people – such as young people or women.
Many centres have client intake policies, to ensure they are providing services to people most in need. When you contact the centre they will ask you some questions about your situation to find out if you are able to access help.
A community legal centre will not be able to assist you if it is already providing services to another party in a dispute. This is called a conflict of interest. The centre will ask you questions about your situation to find out if there is a conflict of interest. If there is a conflict of interest, we suggest you contact another centre, or another legal provider.
4. I think I have a legal problem. Where do I start to get help?
If you are looking for legal help, you can call Citizen’s Advice Bureau WA (CABWA). You can also browse a list of all centres to find help. Read more below or visit our Need Legal Help? page to get started.
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See a list of all centres
If you know which centre can help you, you can contact them directly.
See a full list of all the community legal centres and family violence prevention legal services in WA and how to contact them.
Talk to someone
Citizen’s Advice Bureau of WA (CABWA) has a telephone line. They will ask you some questions and help you find the right legal centre. You can call them on (08) 9221 5711 between 9:30am – 4:00pm on Monday to Friday.
5. What questions do I need to answer for a referral?
If you are calling the telephone referral line, you may need to provide some information about yourself and your problem to help direct you. Read more about the questions you may be asked.
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The following types of information are often requested, in order to work out which centre can help you:
- The area you live in (as most centres serve a particular community)
- Eligibility information: you may be asked about your income, age or background to allow a centre to identify if you are eligible for services (e.g. Youth Legal Service is only for 12-24 year olds)
- The type of legal problem you have, or what it relates to, for example – employment, or family law, or a housing or tenancy issue.
- Name and contact details to make an appointment or to get a response from a service.
6. Can I go to any community legal centre?
There are 26 community legal centres, right across WA. Some centres are place-based centres, who help people who live in an area, like the South West of WA. Some centres are specialists in an area of law, like employment or immigration. Some centres are specialists in an area of law, like employment or immigration.
There are also 3 Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) which are specialist Aboriginal legal services supporting people with an experience of family violence.
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Depending on your situation, your local or closest community legal centre might be able to help, or there might be a specialist centre which can help you.
You can call Citizen’s Advice Bureau of WA’s telephone line. They will ask you some questions and help you find the right legal centre. You can call them on (08) 9221 5711 between 9:30am – 4:00pm on Monday to Friday.
7. Are community legal centres the same as Legal Aid?
No, they are not the same. Legal Aid WA is a WA government legal service, whereas Community legal centres are independent community organisations that provide free or low cost legal help, advice and representation to people in need.
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Community legal centres provide legal education in their communities to help people understand their rights and responsibilities, and advocate for better laws and greater access to justice. Each community legal centre may offer different services, depending on the needs of their community.
Legal Aid WA is a WA government legal service which provides legal advice and assistance services on criminal, family and civil law issues. Whether you qualify for legal aid depends on your type of legal problem, your personal situation, and their resources.
