How we can help
If you are going to court for a criminal offence, and your court date is more than six days away, you can request help before court.
Contact us for free information about your legal issue and how we can help.
- Speak to us
- Help in your language
- Support if you are deaf or find it hard to hear or speak on the phone
If we can’t help, we can refer you to other organisations that can.
Our other free legal services include:
- advice at our offices and other locations across Victoria
- lawyers who are on ‘duty’ to help at many courts and tribunals.
For some matters, we can provide you with a lawyer to help you run your case.
Free publications
We also have free publications to help you understand court processes:
- Your day in court
- You and family law: a short guide
- How to respond to a family violence intervention order.
See a list of all our free publications and resources.
Other organisations that can help
Legal services
Your local community legal centre can give you legal information and advice. Most services are free.
You can also find a private lawyer near you through the Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral Service. All law firms included in the Legal Referral Service provide a free 30-minute interview. You can use this interview to understand more about the legal issue and discuss the available options and how much they will cost. Note that the free interview is not 30 minutes of free legal advice.
Courts and tribunals
Each court can give you information about their own court processes but they cannot give you legal advice.
To find contact details for Victorian courts and tribunals see Courts and Tribunals Victoria.
These resources that will help you understand what happens at court:
- Children’s Court of Victoria virtual court site
- County Court Victoria – Self represented litigants
- Magistrates' Court of Victoria – Going to court.
Other resources
- Victoria Law Foundation has legal information, as well as the free publication Learn about Victoria's legal system.
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