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Hailstorms and family problems lead to busy time for Legal Help
Date : 12 Jan 2012
VLA’s free Legal Help phone service has been responding to a higher demand than usual from the community, with hail damage and family tensions and stresses putting a strain on many callers.
Last Monday alone, Legal Help received 1028 calls compared to its weekly average of around 1530.
Victoria Legal Aid helps the most socially disadvantaged people with their legal problems, and unfortunately the summer holidays can be an especially hard time for vulnerable members of our community. Family problems, increased alcohol consumption leading to assaults and driving offences, debt and consumer issues, usually combine to make this our busiest period of the year. Queries about insurance rights in the aftermath of the freak hailstorms on Christmas Day also added to the typical surge in demand over this period.
Legal Help has found that this year 38 per cent of its calls related to family law problems and violence, compared to 30 per cent of calls at other times of the year. The strain of family get-togethers for some separated families, and disputes about parenting arrangements, sadly lead to increased instances of family disharmony and violence.
Consumer issues and concerns about debt after Christmas splurges also lead to increased demand on Legal Help over the holiday period, with calls about refunds and faulty goods at a peak. The darker side of the festive spirit is also shown by the fact that there have been more than 180 enquiries from those caught in drink-driving blitzes.
The Legal Help free phone service helps more than 80,000 Victorians a year with their legal problems. Call Legal Help on (03) 9269 0210 or 1800 677 402 (country callers) Monday to Friday, 8.45 am to 5.15 pm.
Our 15 offices throughout Victoria are open during the holiday season, and lawyers will be at court to assist, where possible, those people who have an urgent court matter but do not have their own lawyer.