Our free legal services include help at court. For some matters, we can also provide you with a lawyer to help you run your case.
Other organisations that can help
Legal services
Your local community legal centre can give you legal information and advice. Most services are free.
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) provides legal advice and assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. If you are Koori and taken into custody, the police must tell VALS within one hour. You will get support and advice from one of their client services officers. They also have a 24-hour service.
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 how much it will cost. Note that the free interview is not 30 minutes of free legal advice.
Other services
If you have a cognitive disability, the Office of the Public Advocate can provide an independent third person to be with you at the police station while you are interviewed or during procedures such as the police taking body samples.
Complaints
See Complaints about police for organisations that can help you make a complaint if you feel you have not been treated fairly by the police.
Our resources about your rights
These resources will help you understand:
- police powers in Victoria
- your rights
- what to do if you go to court.
See a list of all our free publications and resources, including:
- Am I old enough? Common legal issues for young people
- Drugs, the law and safer substance use
- Police powers: your rights in Victoria.
We also have a video about police.
Resources from other organisations
Youthlaw
Youthlaw's website contains information about:
- Police powers and your rights on the street(opens in a new window), including searches, move-on or stay-away orders and disorderly conduct
- Police powers and your rights on arrest(opens in a new window), including your rights when under arrest.
Youthlaw's Street Smart Victoria is a practical guide to knowing your rights on the streets and has information about police powers.
The Law Handbook
The Law Handbook from Fitzroy Legal Service contains information about:
- Arrest – what the police can and cannot do when arresting someone.
How we can help
Contact us for free information about the law and how we can help you with your legal issue. Many requests can be dealt with online rather than on the phone.
- Speak to us over the phone or using our online chat
- 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.
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