West Heidelberg Community Legal

Free, confidential legal support for vulnerable community members

We provide a range of free legal services for vulnerable people living in Banyule, including advice, information, and help with legal cases. We can assist you with matters such as:

• fines and debt
• tenancy – for tenants
• uninsured motor vehicle accidents
• family law
• family violence
• intervention orders
• victims of crime compensation
• minor criminal offences

Depending on your legal matter, our capacity, resources and expertise, we may provide advice or representation assistance to eligible clients. Representation assistance can only be provided where there is a reasonable prospect of obtaining a successful outcome.

We also offer:

• a free legal service for La Trobe University students – in partnership with the La Trobe Student Association
• community legal education – in partnership with local community organisations
• support to connect you with health and social services that could benefit your wellbeing (with your consent) – such as social workers, financial counsellors, general counsellors, alcohol and other drug counsellors and Aboriginal health workers
• a range of special projects to improve legal services for different community groups – such as the Work and Development Permit Scheme Pilot Project, which allows eligible people to ‘work off’ unpaid fines by taking part in approved therapeutic, educational or community-based activities.

If we cannot help you directly, we will try to find a service that can.

Outreach partnerships

• La Trobe University Student Association: Drop-in service available Thursday 10am – 4pm.  Located in the Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion Department on the ground floor of the Peribolos East Building, La Trobe University Bundoora campus.
• Curran Place – 164 Banksia Street Ivanhoe Phone: 1800 700 514 Drop-in service available for people residing at Curran Place. Face-to-face on alternate Thursdays between 1.00pm – 4.00pm.

Client rights and responsibilities

When using this service, you have a right to:

• a safe environment where you are treated with respect and courtesy at all times
• information about our services and a referral when we are not able to help
• accurate and clear information about your matter within a reasonable timeframe
• ask questions and make your own decisions about your legal matter
• have your personal details and information kept in confidence unless you provide your express consent to release it
• access your records
• ask for an interpreter if English is not your first language
• have a friend or support worker assist you to access our service and, in most cases, to come to appointments with you
• provide feedback and make a complaint about our service if you believe you have not been treated appropriately

We will be impartial and open with you and give you a realistic assessment of your case.

We will observe the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour. Lawyers must comply with their professional and legal obligations as legal practitioners.

When using this service, you have a responsibility to:

• treat workers with respect and courtesy at all times
• stay in contact with us and let us know if your details change, especially if you change your address, email, or phone number
• attend any appointments you have with us – if you miss three appointments in a row without at least 24 hours’ notice we may withdraw our service from you
• give us honest, accurate and complete information about your case
• give us any documents that might be relevant to your case
• tell us if you do not understand something and ask questions if you need us to explain things in more detail
• give us your instructions when asked.

Confidentiality

If you contact our service, we will ask you for some information about yourself and the nature of your legal matter. We need this information to run our service and to properly assist you.

You do not have to give us your information but if you do not, we may not be able to assist you.

We will keep a record of your matter for seven years. Your records will be destroyed after that time unless you ask us to keep them.

While we are a service of Holstep Health, our staff keep all client information confidential. We do not share it with other Holstep Health services or staff. If we need to discuss your information with another service (including other services of Holstep Health) or service provider, we will only do this if we have your express consent.

You can contact us to request access to your personal information, copies of documents from your legal file or to ask us to correct an error.

You can find our Privacy Policy here or ask us for a copy.

Feedback and complaints

Your feedback can help us improve our planning and decision-making and ensure we provide fair access to our services.

If you would like to give us feedback or make a complaint, you can raise the issue with your lawyer directly or call the principal lawyer on 9450 2002.

You may also contact the Victorian Legal Service Board and Commissioner on 1300 796 344.

If you are the victim of a crime and feel that we have not complied with relevant principles in the Victims Charter Act, you can ask for a review under the Victims of Crime Commissioner Act 2015.