Accessing Legal Aid in Queensland
Legal Aid Queensland helps financially disadvantaged people with criminal, family and civil law matters.
They can provide you with legal advice, help you in court, assist you in family law mediation, or refer you to other organisations who may be able to help you, all free of charge. If you would like to talk to Legal Aid, you can do it in person at one of their 14 offices around Queensland, over the phone on 1300 65 11 88, or via a private law firm that offers legal aid.
What can Legal Aid can assist you with?
Depending on your situation and the details of your legal problem, Legal Aid may be able to help you with
- Parenting arrangements
- Relationship issues
- Property settlement
- Family dispute resolution (mediation)
- Domestic and family violence
- Child support and maintenance
- Child protection matters
- Criminal charges in the Magistrates, District or Supreme Courts
- Mental Health Court matters
- Court of Appeal matters
- Children’s Court matters
- Traffic and driving offences
- Car accidents and claims
- Licence disqualification
- Young driver laws
- Consumer rights
- Money and debt issues
- Farm debt issues
- Work and your rights including dismissal and bullying
- Social security appeals e.g. about Centrelink payments
- Legal issues following a disaster
- Veterans and defence force matters
- Civil Law Legal Aid Scheme
- Discrimination and sexual harassment
- Human rights
- Mental health treatment rights
- Elder abuse
- Protecting sexual assault counselling records
- National Disability Insurance Scheme appeals
- Peace and good behaviour
- Young people who have been excluded from school and services
- Company, business, club or association legal issues
- Employment contracts/ workplace agreements
- Commercial transactions or dealings with real estate
- Tenancy issues
- Will making/powers of attorney
- Shares and investments
- Personal injuries (but the Civil Law Legal Aid Scheme may be able to help)
- Taxation and superannuation
- Worker’s compensation
- Planning and environmental law
- Local government issues e.g. noise, fences, animals
- COVID 19 restrictions or requirements
Free representation
If you want a Legal Aid solicitor to represent you for free, you will need to apply for legal aid. Not everybody is eligible for legal aid and demand is high, so Legal Aid has some criteria for deciding who is eligible, including means testing and whether your problem meets their guidelines.
Legal Aid Queensland also recommends that you get legal advice before you apply for legal aid. Find out more about getting legal advice on the Legal Aid Queensland website.
Another option for free legal assistance is a community legal centre. There are 34 in Queensland. You can search for one near you on the Community Legal Centres Queensland website.