Contact the LGBTIQ Legal Service for legal help
If you need immediate legal help contact Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387
General enquiries
If you are interested in: media, partnerships, volunteering, advocacy, or any other general enquiries, please contact us here:
Email: [email protected]If you would like help or would like to refer someone for help please use the form below.
Until 28 September 2020, we cannot accept any new inquiries. Please check again after this time.
The LGBTIQ Legal Service is closely monitoring the Stage 4 restrictions and its implications. This is a fluid situation so, like many organisations, we are evaluating this on a regular basis. As of 8 September 2020, the original date of 14 September has been extended to 28 September 2020.
Where to find legal help
Victoria Legal Aid
For legal help, you can contact Victoria Legal Aid’s Legal Help on 1300 792 387.
- The best time to call Legal Help is 8 – 10am and 3 – 5pm, Monday to Friday
- VLA’s web chat service is available between 8am and 5pm for legal information and referrals, go to www.vla.vic.gov.au
- VLA’s website sets out which legal matters we don’t assist with, and also provides legal information and referrals to other services that can assist, and
- VLA prioritise vulnerable people – based on income, asset and priority guidelines.
Community Legal Centres
Your local community legal centre may be able to provide legal help. To find the CLC closest to you, go to https://www.fclc.org.au/find_a_community_legal_centre
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre offers specialised legal help to vulnerable people who have gender-based claims for asylum. If you are a new client, you may be able to access legal advice via phone by calling 0478 700 605 on Monday and Thursday between 10:30am to 12pm.
Refugee Legal provides legal help to asylum seekers, refugees and disadvantaged migrants in the community and in immigration detention in Victoria and across Australia. If you are a new client, call 9413 0100 on Wednesday and Friday between 10am and 2pm.
Tenants Victoria has a lot of information about tenancy rights on its website, go to https://www.tenantsvic.org.au/advice/. Tenant Victoria’s advice line is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. The number is 9416 2577. Please note there is a high demand for this service so you may need to wait.
Justice Connect has a free self-help tool for Victorian renters, go to https://justiceconnect.org.au/resources/how-does-covid-19-affect-victorian-renters/
Fitzroy Legal Service is offering free legal advice for people fined or charged under the new COVID-19 laws. Call Fitzroy Legal Service on 0434 136 501 for legal help from 9am to 5pm on Monday to Friday and/or make a report at https://covidpolicing.org.au/
What to expect
Timeframe
We will get back to you within five business days of receiving your email or web enquiry.
We are a small team so we are not set up to assist with urgent matters. If you need urgent legal help, please contact Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387.
What happens next?
A member of the LGBTIQ Legal Service team will contact you for more information about your enquiry or legal issue. This can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your situation, and will take place during business hours. We may ask you for personal details and more information about your legal issue including, where relevant, details of other people involved. This information is used to figure out if you are eligible for our services and how we can best assist you.
If we determine that we are unable to provide advice or other assistance, we will provide you with the contact details of another service that may be able to help you.
Legal advice appointments
Appointments for legal advice can be over the phone, via video chat or in-person at one of our partner organisations in the Melbourne CBD area. You may be asked to email or bring relevant documents with you to make the most out of your appointment.
You are welcome to bring a caseworker or support person to this appointment. If you need an interpreter, please let us know and we will book an appointment with a telephone interpreter or arrange for an AUSLAN interpreter to attend your appointment.
Legal representation
Ongoing legal representation (casework) is decided on a case-by-case basis. As a small non-profit organisation, we are unable to take on all matters. For more information, see our casework guidelines.
All appointments are free
All appointments with the LGBTIQ Legal Service are free, and we will never ask you for legal fees. Sometimes we will tell you that it would be helpful to your case to obtain an expert report, and this is something that we, unfortunately, don’t have funding to pay for. In this situation, we can discuss your options with you.
Privacy
We understand that privacy and confidentiality can be particularly important for members of the LGBTIQ community. Your personal information is stored securely and will not be shared with any other individual, entity or service outside of St Kilda Legal Service without your consent. As a legal service, we must not disclose confidential information unless it is to prevent immediate physical harm to a person or to prevent a serious criminal offence.