Getting legal help

Finding the right law firm to assist you can sometimes seem daunting. The Society maintains a database of legal firms in the ACT, and can identify firms by the type of law they practice, and lawyers by the languages they can speak. 

To locate a law firm: 

• Go to Find a Firm
• Select the type of law you need assistance using the “Area of Practice” filter, and/or enter a suburb or postcode to identify firms close to you. 

To locate a lawyer who can speak your language: 

• Go to Find a Lawyer search page
• Choose which language you’d like to search by using the “Language Spoken” filter and scrolling down to the language you require. 

Legal issues can often seem difficult and costly to resolve, especially if your problem is complex and you are unsure what your first step should be. 

Community Legal Centres (CLCs) can provide free advice and resources to the public in the Canberra region. A list of CLCs can be found here.

Legal Aid ACT provides face-to-face services on campus at the University of Canberra, as well as the Citizen Centred Justice Legal Clinic; click here for more information

The Australian National University has its own legal service for students

The prospect of needing to engage a lawyer to act on your behalf, both in and out of court, when you are experiencing severe financial stress can be overwhelming.

If you have been declined assistance by a CLC, you can approach the Law Society with an application seeking fee-free (pro bono) assistance from a law firm in the ACT.

The ACT Law Society administers the Pro Bono Clearing House. The Pro Bono Clearing House matches people and organisations in genuine need of pro bono legal assistance with a law firm or if applicable a Community Legal Centre to provide assistance. 

Legal Aid help people in the ACT with their legal problems, especially people who are socially or economically disadvantaged. See all the services available here.

The Community Liaison Unit at Legal Aid helps people in the community access the legal services provided by Legal Aid ACT, other legal services in the ACT and non-legal support services.

The Law Society has a list of fact sheets answering common legal questions. They can be accessed here

The ACT Law Society is responsible for receiving, managing, and investigating complaints about the conduct of legal practitioners (this does not include barristers, court staff, judges, magistrates or tribunal members) in the ACT. The Society cannot deal with complaints when a matter is currently before the courts. 

Complaints must: 

• be made within three years of the date on which the conduct complained about occurred
• identify the person making the complaint 
• identify the individual against whom the complaint is made 
• describe the alleged conduct that is the subject of the complaint 
• provide copies of any relevant documents that support your complaint (this may include emails, notes, correspondence, agreements, etc) 

To lodge a complaint, click here to lodge the form electronically. If you need assistance completing the form, please call the Society on (02) 6274 0300 between 9:00 am and 12:30 pm Monday – Friday.