Victoria Legal Aid
Victoria Legal Aid
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is a government-funded agency set up to ensure that people who cannot afford to pay a private lawyer can get help with their legal problems.
VLA provides:
- free legal information for all Victorians;
- free legal advice for people who meet the eligibility criteria;
- duty lawyers in most courts and tribunals;
- family dispute resolution for disadvantaged families and children, and other specialist resolution and advocacy services;
- legal assistance grants for people who meet the eligibility criteria. VLA can help people with a range of legal problems including those relating to criminal matters, family separation, family violence, mental health and discrimination. For more information about the services that VLA provide, see Chapter 2.2: How legal aid can help.
VLA suburban offices VLA regional offices Duty lawyers
VLA provides duty lawyers at many courts and tribunals across Victoria. This service is free. However, duty lawyers do not represent everyone. Call VLA’s Legal Help (free legal advice phone line) on 1300 792 387 before your court date to find out if a duty lawyer can help you and what assistance they can provide.
Fitzroy Legal Service offers a duty lawyer service at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court for Family Violence Intervention Order matters on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Fitzroy Legal Service assists clients on a duty lawyer basis for Family Violence Intervention Orders at Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood on Tuesdays. Contact Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court or the Neighbourhood Justice Centre for more information: For more information about duty lawyers, see ‘Duty lawyers’ in Chapter 2.2: How legal aid can help.
