Get help

Make a legal appointment

Contact us to see if you are eligible for a free appointment. Please tell us if an interpreter is needed.

Call our intake team

Phone number: (03) 7037 3208
Hours: 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

Email our intake team 

Email: [email protected]

Make an online enquiry 

You can submit an online request for legal assistance or referrals by using our Intake and Referral Tool. 

 

When making an appointment

  • We will ask you a few questions to see if you are eligible (see What we do).
  • We will ask some questions about the legal issue and any other people involved.
  • We might ask you to email any relevant legal documents before the appointment.
  • We provide advice by appointment only.
  • Our appointments are usually by telephone, unless otherwise arranged.
  • We are unable to offer legal advice via email.
  • All appointments are free.

Our intake team will contact you within 3 business days of your enquiry. If we cannot help, there are lots of other service providers who might be able to help you, many of which are also free. Visit our page of recommendations.

 

What to expect from us

Legal advice appointments

Appointments for legal advice are currently over the phone. You may be asked to email relevant documents to us before your 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. Our Casework Guidelines have more detail about what we do and don’t do.

All appointments are free

All appointments with the LGBTIQ Legal Service are free, and we will never ask you for legal fees.

Translators and interpreters

We are able to provide phone translation services for languages other than English. Please call TIS National on 131 450 and ask them to call us.

Alternatively, please email us at [email protected] with the language you speak and the number you would like us to call you on, and we will call you with an interpreter during business hours.

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 Southside Justice without your consent unless permitted by a limited exception under our privacy policy. There is more about this in our privacy policy.

Inclusivity statement

The LGBTIQ Legal Service strives to make our services responsive and appropriate for LGBTIQ+ people, especially those who face intersectional issues such as family violence, homelessness, racism, religious discrimination, problematic drug use, mental health issues and sex work.

We have chosen to use the umbrella title of LGBTIQ+ to advertise our service, however we wish to acknowledge that we respect everyone’s right to freely identify and affirm their sexual or romantic orientation and gender identity, including terms such as lesbian, gay, transgender, non-binary, gender diverse, genderqueer, queer, aromantic, asexual, bisexual, pansexual, sistergirls and brotherboys.

We support the rights of people born with intersex variations to be free from discrimination and mistreatment on the basis of their sex characteristics.

Other service providers

Depending on your needs, there are lots of other service providers who might be able to help you, many of which are also free.

Visit our page of recommendations here.