Take the first step towards a solution
YOUR employer tells you not to come back to work tomorrow.
Your neighbour is complaining about a tree in your backyard. You’re fighting with your ex-partner about where the kids should go to school.
You can’t find a place to rent — is it because of the colour of your skin? Your parents tell you the nursing home where they live is not looking after them properly. Where do you go for help? How do you find a solution?
The Legal Aid Helpline is a Northern Territory-wide service operating from a dedicated call centre at the NT Legal Aid Commission. Helpline staff answer calls about problems like these every day, providing information, referrals, and making appointments for free and confidential legal advice.
The Helpline operates Monday to Friday between 8am and 4.30pm. It’s the first step towards a solution for anyone needing legal help or even if you just have a question.
Through the Helpline, you will find that the NT Legal Aid Commission offers a wide range of legal services. The Helpline staff can help make an appointment for free legal advice from our criminal, family, or civil law teams, or link you to other legal services around the NT.
Callers to the Helpline receive comprehensive information and referrals to legal advice and other helpful services for a wide variety of issues.
Your landlord won’t fix the tap — it’s been leaking for months. You’re not being paid overtime when you work weekends. Are these legal problems? Sometimes you might not know whether you have a legal problem or not, or where you can go to get help.
Helpline manager Melinda Schroeder said they encourage people in this situation to call the Legal Aid Helpline.
“Helpline staff members are experienced in identifying legal problems and the right people to help,” she said.
“They receive regular professional development and information sessions to keep up to date with changes to laws, policies, systems, procedures and who is who in the NT. “
Helpline also has access to a wide range of resources, and can show people where to find information about the law.
You can find accessible legal information through LawInfoNT at www.lawinfont.org.au, the NT Law Handbook at www.ntlawhandbook.org, or the website www.legalaid.nt.gov.au.
Service providers and lawyers can refer clients with complex needs to the Helpline to get help with other problems, while continuing to assist them with a particular matter. To access the Legal Aid Helpline, call 1800 019 343. Talk to the friendly staff members and take the first step towards a solution. NT-wide Helpline 8am — 4:30pm free call 1800 019 343 9am onwards — Duty lawyer at Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs local courts Darwin Civil law clinic. Kids come first family law information session at Relationships Australia; Alice Springs Family Law Clinic Darwin — Family and Criminal law clinics. Outreach to Migrant English classes at CDU Casuarina; Danila Dilba Health Service civil outreach service. Darwin Family and Civil law clinics. Katherine — legal training for Wurli community services; Alice Springs Family law clinic Darwin office criminal law clinic; Darwin prison legal clinic; Palmerston civil law clinic; Katherine local court duty lawyer; Tennant Creek High School legal education sessions; Alice Springs family law clinic. Darwin & Palmerston family law clinics. Outreach to STEPS Migrant English classes, Casuarina. Katherine: Courthouse public event; Youth court duty lawyer; Alice Springs Criminal law clinic. All clinics by appointment, outreach sessions drop in.