Last updated 20 January 2022

Service

Focus and Contact Details

Legal advice
Queensland Coronial Legal Service (QCLS) at Caxton Legal Centre or Townsville Community Law Lawyers at the QCLS can assist by:

  • providing legal advice about the coronial process and associated issue
  • providing representation for bereaved family members appearing in particular inquests
  • connecting families with social workers, counselling and other support services.

Book an appointment with:

  • Caxton Legal Centre (Brisbane) on (07) 3214 6333 or
  • Townsville Community Law on (07) 4721 5511.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) ATSILS provides culturally focussed legal services for Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples across Queensland.You can contact ATSILS via:

  • the toll-free helpline on 1800 012 255 (24 hours, 7 days)
  • phone on (07) 3025 3888
  • email at info@atsils.org.au.

Counselling and support
Coronial process
Coronial Family Services (CFS) CFS counsellors, social workers and psychologists can assist by:

  • supporting the family of a loved one whose death is being investigated
  • explaining the process when a coroner is investigating a death
  • providing information about autopsy examinations
  • providing support for identifications and viewings
  • providing referrals to support groups and local services
  • advocating and liaising with other agencies on your behalf.

You can contact CFS via:
Court Network The Court Network volunteers provide non-legal support to people accessing the court system,
including the matter progress into an inquest.You can contact the Court Network via:
Grief and support
Lifeline Trained crisis support workers can provide support to anyone experiencing a personal crisis,
contemplating suicide or caring for someone in crisis.You can contact Lifeline via:

  • phone on 13 11 14 (24 hours, 7 days)
  • text on 0477 13 11 14 (12 pm to midnight (AEST))
  • online chat at www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/ (7 pm to midnight (AEST)).
Beyond Blue Beyond Blue provides supports and services to people affected by anxiety, depression and suicide.

You can contact Beyond Blue via:
Kids Helpline Kids Helpline is a free and confidential counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

You can contact Kids Helpline via:
Salvation Army The Salvation Army provides services to people experiencing hardship.

You can contact the Salvation Army via:
Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre The Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre provides culturally responsive mental-health care
and support to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.You can contact Queensland Transcultural Mental Health Centre via:
Relationships Australia (Queensland) Relationships Australia provides counselling, mediation, education and support services relating
to children and family, addiction, trauma issues and diverse groups in the community.You can contact Relationships Australia via:
Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement provides a range of grief and bereavement
education such as counselling training and grief consulting.You can contact the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement via:

  • phone on (03) 9265 2100
  • the national phone on 1800 642 066
  • email at info@grief.org.au.
GriefLine Community and Family Services GriefLine provides 24/7 access to tools, wellbeing practices and coping strategies for people
experiencing grief.You can contact GriefLine via:
National Centre for Childhood Grief The National Centre for Childhood Grief provides:

  • free and unlimited grief counselling for bereaved children aged 3 to 18 years
  • grief counselling for recently bereaved adults for a fee
  • education and training for individuals, schools and other organisations handling the grief
    of children and young people.

You can contact the National Centre for Childhood Grief via:
Death by suicide
StandBy Support After Suicide StandBy Support provides support for anyone who has been bereaved or impacted by suicide
at any stage in their life, including:

  • face-to-face and telephone support, accessible 24/7 in your area
  • expertise, understanding and resources
  • follow-up contact continuing for up to two years.

You can contact StandBy Support via:
Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Association The Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Association provides support for those who have lost
loved ones to suicide. They run support groups across Queensland, offer awareness and
education and promote prevention.You can contact the Survivors of Suicide Bereavement Association via:
Death of a child
Red Nose (formerly SIDS and KIDS Queensland) Red Nose provides support services for families impacted by the death of a baby or child during pregnancy, birth, infancy and early childhood.You can contact Red Nose via:
Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Support (SANDS) SANDS provides:

  • a safe space for bereaved parents to talk with volunteer supporters who have experienced
    an early pregnancy loss, stillbirth or newborn death
  • resources on grief and loss for the wider community and advocates.

You can contact SANDS via:
Compassionate Friends Queensland The Compassionate Friends is an international self-help support organisation for
parents, siblings and grandparents grieving the loss of a child, offering:

  • support-group meetings to connect and share with other parents and families
    who have experienced the loss of a child
  • informal coffee chats on the first Monday of every month
  • annual seminars and remembrance services for families to gather and celebrate the
    life of their child.

You can contact Compassionate Friends Queensland via:
Crime
Victim Assist Queensland Victim Assist provides information and advice for victims of crime, including
information about support services, victims’ rights and financial assistance.You can contact Victim Assist via:
Victims Counselling and Support Services The Victims Counselling and Support Service is a counselling and support service
to Queensland residents who have been personally affected by violent crime.You can contact the Victims Counselling and Support Service via:

  • phone on 1300 139 703 (24 hours, 7 days)
  • live chat at www.vcss.org.au/ (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday).
Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group The Homicide Victims’ Support Group offers counselling, support and information
to families and friends of homicide victims.You can contact the Homicide Victims’ Support Group via:
Sisters Inside advocates for the collective human rights of women and girls in prison.

You can contact Sisters Inside via:
Other
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages The Registry website outlines the process for applying for a death certificate.

For assistance with the process, you can contact the registry via:
Public Trustee The Public Trustee website contains information about managing a deceased estate.

For assistance with the process, you can contact the Public Trustee via:
DonateLife Queensland DonateLife coordinates all organ and tissue donor activities across the state,
and offers care and support to donor families.You can contact DonateLife via:
Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) TIS is an interpreting service for people who do not speak English, and for agencies
and businesses that need to communicate with their non-English speaking clients.You can contact TIS via:
National Relay Service The National Relay Service provides support for phone and video calls for people
who are deaf, or find it hard to hear or speak on the phone.You can contact the National Relay Service via: