Finding free legal assistance can be difficult, but there are more than 33 accredited Community Legal Centres located throughout Queensland.
With a reduction in funding apportioned to Legal Aid Queensland, there is a move towards ‘self-help’ style legal services.
Suncoast Community Legal Service offers legal advice and referral at seven locations across the Sunshine Coast including:
- Maroochydore
- Caloundra
- Landsborough
- Noosa
- Pomona
- Maleny, and
- Nambour.
Suncoast Community Service relies on the generosity of volunteer lawyers who can offer general advice and appropriate referral only.
Maroochydore Legal Aid Queensland runs daytime advice clinics several times a week and there are self-help resources available that include:
- Personal Injury Self-help Check
- Does someone owe you money? brochure
- Consumer and Trade Disputes Fact Sheet
- Tree Disputes Self-Help Kit
- Peace and Good Behaviour Order Self-Help Kit
- Have you been in an accident Self-Help Kit
Article by Julian Porter is Principal Solicitor at Suncoast Community Legal Service.
This column contains legal information only. Legal advice should be sought in relation to individual circumstances.
Additional resources
Aged and Disability Advocates Australia (ADA) – provide advocacy services to older people and people with disability in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities across Queensland. Services are free, confidential and client focused.
Relationships Australia Queensland – provide elder abuse prevention and support services.
Queensland Statewide Tenancy Advice and Referral Service (QSTARS) - handle queries in the area of tenancy and financial first-aid.
Statewide there are specific services catering for various needs, including:
Disability, welfare rights, indigenous people and the environment.
Other legal services include Financial Counselling Services that can help those in debt.
And Lawright, (formerly QPILCH) provides ‘self-representation services’ in various courts and tribunals.