Free legal help
Updated 22 July 2026
Fees, phone numbers and eligibility change. Always confirm details on the official website before you rely on them.
Overview
This is about free and low-cost legal help in Victoria for people who have recently arrived. Victoria Legal Aid, a government body, gives free legal information to everyone and free legal advice to people who are eligible, and will arrange a free interpreter when you call. Community legal centres are independent, not-for-profit organisations that give free advice, casework and legal education, and some specialise in areas such as migration, tenancy and family violence. This guide explains how to get help and how to find your nearest service.
Step by step
Step 1: For free legal information or to understand your options, contact Victoria Legal Aid: use Legal Help Chat on their website, or call the Legal Help phone line on 1300 792 387 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, closed on public holidays).
Step 2: If you need help in a language other than English, call Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387 and ask for an interpreter; they will arrange a free interpreter for you.
Step 3: Alternatively, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to connect you to Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387.
Step 4: If your issue needs advice from a lawyer, ask Victoria Legal Aid: they give free advice to people who are eligible, run free duty lawyer services at many courts (Help at court), and offer a Help Before Court service for criminal charges.
Step 5: For ongoing local help, or for specialist areas such as migration, tenancy or family violence, find your nearest community legal centre through the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria directory.
Step 6: Search Victoria Legal Aid's 'I need legal information about' section for free written information on common legal topics, also available in many community languages.
Eligibility & requirements
- Free legal information (through Legal Help Chat, the Legal Help phone line and the website) is available to anyone in Victoria.
- Free legal advice from Victoria Legal Aid is only for people who are eligible; Legal Help staff will tell you if you qualify or refer you to another organisation.
- A free interpreter is arranged when you call Victoria Legal Aid; if you are eligible for ongoing legal help, Victoria Legal Aid will pay for the interpreter.
- You can contact Victoria Legal Aid on behalf of someone else (for example a child under 18, or as a worker calling for a client), although they prefer the person with the legal issue to be present.
- Community legal centres assist people in their communities, particularly people experiencing disadvantage; some are generalist and others specialise (for example migration, tenancy, consumer, employment or family violence law).
Costs
| Item | Indicative cost |
|---|---|
| Legal Help information and phone line (Victoria Legal Aid) | Free. |
| Interpreter for your legal call | Free. Victoria Legal Aid arranges the interpreter, and if you are eligible for ongoing help it also pays for the interpreter. The Translating and Interpreting Service is also free to you. |
| Community legal centre advice | Free. Community legal centres provide free advice, casework and legal education. |
| Duty lawyer / Help at court | Free, but they cannot help everyone, so it is best to call before going to court. |
Key links
- Victoria Legal Aid - how we can help (opens the official website)
- Victoria Legal Aid - speak to us (Legal Help Chat and phone line) (opens the official website)
- Victoria Legal Aid - help in your language (free interpreter) (opens the official website)
- Victoria Legal Aid - about community legal centres (opens the official website)
- Find a community legal centre - Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria (opens the official website)
Contacts
- Victoria Legal Aid - Legal Help phone line: 1300 792 387, 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday, closed on public holidays (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/speak-to-us).
- Victoria Legal Aid - Legal Help phone line: 1300 792 387, 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday, closed on public holidays (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/speak-to-us).
- Help in your language: call Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387 and a free interpreter will be arranged (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/help-your-language).
- Help in your language: call Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387 and a free interpreter will be arranged (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/help-your-language).
- Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National): 131 450 - ask to be connected to Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387 (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/help-your-language).
- Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National): 131 450 - ask to be connected to Victoria Legal Aid on 1300 792 387 (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/help-your-language).
- Legal helpline for First Nations people: 1300 MOB VLA (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/get-legal-help).
- Legal helpline for First Nations people: 1300 MOB VLA (read on https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/get-legal-help).
- To find a community legal centre, use the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria directory at https://www.fclc.org.au/find_a_community_legal_centre (the Federation is linked from Victoria Legal Aid's official page).
- To find a community legal centre, use the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria directory at https://www.fclc.org.au/find_a_community_legal_centre (the Federation is linked from Victoria Legal Aid's official page).