Below is a list of legal support services, including community legal centres, low cost or free legal advice and support, victim support services and private law firms specialising in family and domestic violence and/or family law. If you cannot find local legal  support services for your area, there is a list of state and national legal support services at the bottom of this page.

Kimberley Community Legal Services

KCLS is an independent, not-for-profit community legal service. We provide free legal, financial counselling and tenancy services to financially disadvantaged people in the Kimberley.

KCLS is the largest remotely located civil law service in Australia, and 84 per cent of our clients are Aboriginal.

We operate across Western Australia’s Kimberley region from our offices in Kununurra and Broome, servicing urban and remote towns and communities.

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Victim Support Service and Child Witness Service Derby

The Victim Support Service provides free, confidential counselling and support services for all victims of crime. These services are provided by professional counsellors and trained volunteers. Services available to victims of crime include:

  • Counselling and Support
  • Providing information and referrals to other support services
  • Helping victims write a victim impact statement
  • Preparing and supporting victims during a court case
  • Helping victims obtain information on the status of police investigations
  • Providing support when making an application for a restraining order
  • Providing information about criminal injuries compensation
  • Helping victims understand their rights within the criminal justice system
  • Providing information on the status of convicted offenders in WA, through the Victim Notification Register

The Child Witness Service is a voluntary and free service available to children under 18 years of age who are to give evidence to a court. Trained staff can assist with:

  • Accessing services such as counselling, police, legal, medical and other relevant services
  • Working with the WA Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions and providing the child with up to date information as a matter progresses through the court system
  • Preparing a child for giving evidence in court and providing in court support
  • Helping a child to prepare a victim impact statement.
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Marnin Family Support and Legal Unit

Delivers culturally appropriate legal representation and non-legal holistic support services primarily in the area of safety, wellbeing and strengthening family capacity. MFSLU can provide:

  • Free confidential legal advice, support and representation in court for victims of family violence and/or sexual assault in legal matters including Restraining orders, Family Law, Child Protection and Criminal Injuries Compensation
  • Assistance lodging applications for Criminal Injuries Compensation, Restraining Orders and Parenting Orders
  • Outreach services to communities
  • Referrals to other services for trauma, grief and relationship counselling
  • Legal education workshops
  • Community education workshops to increase the awareness of family violence in schools, community groups and with service providers
  • Support and workshops for family groups
  • Advocacy
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Aboriginal Legal Service of WA – Derby

The Aboriginal Legal Service of WA Limited (ALSWA) is a not for profit organisation which provides legal representation and support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Western Australia.
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State and National Legal Services Services

Victim Support Service

Is a voluntary and free service available to victims of crime.

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Legal Aid WA

Legal Aid WA offers free or low-cost legal services to the community. If their clients have trouble getting help because of a disability, language barriers, or location, Legal Aid WA has available support to assist them.
Legal Aid WA provides a wide range of services including: civil law, criminal law, family law and community legal education
Family law and children’s matters services:
• Legal representation by lawyers for children and young people in the Family Court and in the Children’s Court
• Legal representation by lawyers in the Family Court, in child protection proceedings in the Children’s Court, and in defended hearings for family violence restraining orders in the Magistrates’ Court
• Dispute resolution services within family law and child protection proceedings
• Assistance to both carers of children and those who have to pay child support, needing legal advice or representation with criminal charges, who have been arrested as a suspect by police or wanting help with an appeal against conviction or sentence
 
Virtual office: virtual.office@legalaid.wa.gov.au
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Legal Aid WA – Senior Rights and Advocacy Service

The Senior Rights and Advocacy Service is a specialist legal advice and assistance service, as a division of Legal Aid WA.
Services offered include: 
• Legal advice and assistance in areas such as elder abuse, planning for the future, guardianship and administration, and issues involving grandchildren 
• representation in certain guardianship and administration matter with State Administrative Tribunal 
• Mediation and dispute resolution
• information and community legal education 
• Referrals to community and government agencies
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Youth Legal Service

Youth Legal Service is a not-for-profit organisation providing free legal services to children and young people (under 25 years of age) across Western Australia. 
 
Youth Legal Service provides legal advice in the following areas:
 
• Criminal Matters – legal advice on all criminal matters and traffic offences
• Motor Vehicle Accidents – legal advice and casework to establish liability and negotiate with insurers or claimants
• Contract Law – legal advice on establishing the capacity to contract, contractual obligations and unconscionable contracts
• Leaving Home – advice on legal rights and responsibilities and accessing personal belongings and papers
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Circle Green Community Legal Centre

Circle Green is a community legal centre in Western Australia providing state-wide specialist legal services in employment, residential tenancy law, family and domestic violence, and migration services aimed at assisting people who are otherwise disadvantaged in their access to legal services.
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Women’s Legal Service WA

The Women’s Legal Service WA is a free community legal centre providing legal advice, support and advocacy to WA women experiencing disadvantage. They can assist women with:

  • Family law (parenting related matters, divorce and some property settlement matters through their Legal Clinic)
  • Family violence (identifying and responding to family violence and restraining order matters)
  • Protection and care (matters involving the Department of Communities Child Protection and Family Support Division)
  • Criminal injuries compensation (where it relates to family violence, assault or sexual assault).
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Online Restraining Order Application

A restraining order is designed to prevent acts of family or personal violence. Having a restraining order allows the police to intervene on behalf of the protected person if the conditions are breached.
The online restraining order application service has been introduced for people seeking the protection of a restraining order to lodge their application without having to attend a court registry.
Police officers have the ability to issue a police order for up to 72 hours in certain circumstances. This order is a temporary restraining order that allows the protected person the ability to make an application to a court during normal business hours. Please contact the Western Australia Police Force on 131 444 if you require police assistance or 000 in an emergency.
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Family Violence Law Help

FASS provide support and legal help if you are affected by domestic and family violence and have a family law issue. They can help you if you have experienced domestic and family violence or someone says you have used violence. The Family Advocacy and Support Service lawyers can assist by:

  • Arrangements for children
  • Domestic Violence Orders (known as Family Violence Restraining Orders or FVROs)
  • Property after separation
  • Divorce
  • Child Support
  • Child protection
  • Applying for legal aid
  • Some urgent court matters The Family Advocacy and Support Service support worker can assist by: Help you plan for your safety
  • Talk to the Family Courts about your safety at court
  • Give you information and support during your family law case
  • Help with practical problems like Centrelink and housing
  • Advocate for you with services like police
  • Connect you with men’s behaviour change programs or other services
If you need help with your legal or non-legal issues from a duty lawyer or FASS social support worker, please call (08) 9224 8690.
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Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) provide information and referral, a low-cost legal advice service on a wide range of issues, and a mediation service.

Their services include:

  • Free information on a wide range of issue
  • Low-cost Legal Advice
  • Low-cost mediation and dispute resolution
  • Free Tax Help (July – October)
  • Assistance with WA NILS (No Interest Loan Scheme) Applications
  • Justice of the Peace
  • Probate Assistance
  • Preparation of Family Court documents
  • Letters of Administration
  • Wills
  • Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Enduring Powers of Guardianship
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Aboriginal Family Legal Services

Aboriginal Family Law Service assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live free from family violence and sexual assault. We not only offer free legal services, but community education and early intervention and prevention programs as well.
 
Services offered include:
• Family Law
• Child Protection
• Criminal Injury Compensation
• Family Violence Restraining Orders
• Non-legal Support
• Social Support
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