Legal Advice
LEGAL HELP LINE (Telephone Advice)
Telephone 1300 366 424 (local call cost)
Monday to Friday
9.00am - 4.30pm
Telephone legal advice is available for preliminary information, advice and referrals. Advice is usually restricted to a client's basic legal rights and obligations about a particular situation. If the problem is too complex or too lengthy for a phone call, the client will be offered an appointment at a Commission office or referred to other sources of assistance.
Country callers can use the Legal Help Line to contact the Adelaide office for the cost of a local call. For clients unable to attend an appointment in person, a telephone advice appointment can be booked and any relevant documents can be faxed to us with the assistance of a local Families SA Office.
Free legal advice is available to any person on most legal matters. The role of the legal adviser is to identify the client's problem, to inform the client of their rights and obligations and to help them understand what course(s) of action can be taken. The adviser may also draft letters for clients and where appropriate, write letters on their behalf.
Examples of the areas on which we can offer advice are:
- all aspects of family law including referrals for child support advice and dispute resolution
- criminal law - in particular, minor offences where there is no risk of imprisonmentsuch as traffic matters. We can also provide assistance with guilty pleas, negotiations with police prosecutions and liaison with the duty solicitor service.
- motor vehicle accidents - in particular, property damage claims and assistance for uninsured drivers
- assistance with legal aid applications
- debts and bankruptcy
- consumer issues
- neighbour and fencing disputes
- applying for or defending restraining orders
- unfair dismissal applications
- minor civil claims
The Adelaide office has specialist social security advisers who can provide help and advice about Centrelink matters.
A family law and child support advice service to prisoners is available by telephone and interview.
Expert advice on child support obligations and paternity is available from our Child Support Unit.
The Commission employs both lawyers and paralegal staff as legal advisers. Paralegal staff come from a wide range of backgrounds and have legal training. The Advice Service deals with a wide range of both legal and non-legal problems and clients are often referred to alternative service providers where appropriate.
For professional reasons, legal advisers cannot give a second opinion if the matter is already being handled by another solicitor. However, we may be able to give general advice to clarify a matter.
Making an appointment
Appointments can be made at our Adelaide office or any of our suburban and regional offices.
All appointments are for 30 minutes. Where an interpreter is required a longer appointment will be booked.
The Law Handbook Online is a comprehensive guide to the law in South Australia written in plain English and available for free online. If you have a legal problem, the answer may be in the Law Handbook.
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