Preventative services for all Victorians
We provide preventative services to Victorians to help them understand their legal options at the earliest opportunity and where to go if they need further assistance.
Family dispute resolution services
We help parents and other adult family members resolve substantial family disputes about:
- parenting arrangements and children’s issues
- division of property (where parents have superannuation or a home mortgage)
- partner maintenance
- child support or adult child maintenance.
Duty lawyer services
We have lawyers on ‘duty’ at many courts and tribunals across Victoria. These duty lawyers help people who are at court for a hearing but do not have their own lawyer.
Grants of legal assistance
We provide grants of legal assistance to people who cannot afford a lawyer, who meet our eligibility criteria and who are experiencing a legal problem that we can help with.
Victoria Legal Aid Chambers
We provide high quality advocacy for legally aided clients in civil, criminal and family, youth and children’s law matters. We also conduct strategic litigation to remedy a legal problem or change a policy or process to benefit an individual client and the broader community.
Strategic advocacy
We are committed to working on the justice system as well as within it. Under the Legal Aid Act 1978 (Vic) we are required to seek innovative means of providing legal assistance to reduce the need for individual legal services.
Civil Justice program
Our work in civil and administrative law aims to contribute to a fairer, more inclusive and rights-respecting community. We deal with matters such as social security, mental health, guardianship and administration, infringements, immigration, tenancy, debt, discrimination, sexual harassment and victims of crime.
Criminal Law program
We provide high quality legal advice and representation for people charged with criminal offences who cannot otherwise afford it and who meet our eligibility criteria, with a focus on people who are disadvantaged or at risk of social exclusion.
Family, Youth and Children's Law program
We assist people to resolve their family disputes to achieve safe, workable and child-focused parenting and care arrangements. We also assist parents to build their capacity to resolve future disputes without legal assistance.