Get legal help over the phone

Read an easy English explanation

Legal Aid’s phone services are free and confidential.  

It does not cost to call us, and we will not tell anyone about your problem or that you contacted us.  


Who to call

Our main phone line is our Helpline. 

If you have a legal problem or general enquiry, call the Legal Aid Helpline:

1300 654 314

If you are under 25 years, call the Youth Law Centre:

1300 654 314

If you have a legal problem about a tenancy, call our Tenancy Advice Service:

1300 402 512

If you are an older person or are concerned about an older person*, call our Older Persons ACT Legal Service:

1800 353 374

 *an older person is a person who is 65 years or over, or 50 years or older if Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

All phone lines operate during these hours:

  • Monday to Thursday: 8.30am to 7pm
  • Friday: 8.30am to 5pm

If we can’t answer your call, please leave a voice message with your name, contact number and legal problem. We will return your call from a private number.  


What help can I get over the phone

We can help you by:

  • giving you legal information and resources relating to your legal problem
  • arranging an appointment for you to speak to a lawyer if necessary
  • referring you to other services that might be able to help.

We cannot:

  • give you legal advice through the Helpline phone service, but we will try to give you as much information as possible to help you understand your options.  
  • give you information about another caller’s legal problem, unless we have that person’s permission to talk with you

Additional support to call us

If you need help with English

You can ask for an interpreter at the start of the call. We’ll arrange an interpreter through the Translating and Interpreting Service to join. This is a free service.  

You can also call the Translating and Interpreting Service first, before you call us.

If you need help to speak or listen over the phone

You can use the National Relay Service for your phone call. This is a free service.