Last Updated 6 July 2016

All community legal centres are independent of government, and services provided by the centres are usually free. The type or level of service provided differs from centre to centre but may include initial advice, referral to private solicitors or other avenues of legal assistance, help with the preparation of court documents and the provision of self-help materials to assist people who need to represent themselves in court. Some centres may also offer social work assistance or, in some cases, may represent clients. Due to limited resources, there are usually very tight restrictions about who can get casework assistance. Many community legal centres produce self-help booklets and undertake law reform and community legal education/development activities.

A list of community legal centres operating in Queensland including their contact details, areas of legal expertise and choice clientele can be obtained from Community Legal Centres Queensland, the peak state body for all community legal centres. It is important to remember that some centres are purely voluntary, part-time organisations. Bond University also hosts a free legal service staffed by law students and supervised by appropriate qualified legal practitioners.

For a directory of centres across Australia contact the National Association of Community Legal Centres, which is the national network of community legal centres.

Caxton Legal Centre also operates a family law and domestic violence duty lawyer service at the Family Law Courts and the Magistrates Court, and a specialist service (the Seniors Legal and Support Service) for older clients who experience physical or emotional abuse, non-spousal domestic violence or financial abuse.