We have introduced a low-cost fee for our legal advice service. This fee can be waived in certain circumstances, especially if you are on Centrelink payments, in financial difficulty or in a crisis situation.
This decision has not been made lightly. Demand for our services is extremely high and we know there are phone calls on our advice line that are going unanswered. We are extremely appreciative of the funding we receive from the Western Australian Department of Commerce and the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department, however currently we can’t expand our services to assist those people who are missing out.
And the reality is that we are facing an increasing demand for our services at the same time as a decrease in funds. Rather than cutting our services, and in order to protect the level of service we currently offer, we made the decision to introduce a low-cost service fee of $40 for legal advice.
This fee can be waived in certain circumstances and you are encouraged to talk to us about your situation, especially if you are on Centrelink payments, in financial difficulty or in a crisis situation. In particular we will be sensitive to people who are at a risk of homelessness or who are experiencing family and domestic violence.