Legal Aid
Overview
If you need a lawyer you might be able to get legal aid. Legal aid will help pay for your lawyer’s fees and you wont need to pay it back. If you are on a benefit you will usually be able to get legal aid.
What is legal aid?
There are two types of legal aid – Civil/Family Legal Aid and Criminal Legal Aid.
Civil/Family legal aid is to help with the legal costs of bringing or defending a civil case (for example, if you take your boss to the Employment Relations Authority) or a case in the Family Court (for example, a Parenting Order).
For more information see the chapter “Legal Aid and other legal help” in the Community Law Manual. You can also contact your nearest Community Law Centre.