Get legal advice

Introduction

You can get legal advice from a range of organisations and individuals in the Northern Territory (NT). Some are free and others charge a fee for their services.

The following pages provide a guide to free or low cost legal advice in the NT, including women’s legal services and Indigenous legal services, as well as information on finding a private lawyer.


Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission

This organisation provides legal help if you can’t afford a private lawyer. 

You can receive initial legal advice and representation in court in criminal matters, such as bail applications, every day in the Darwin and Alice Springs Local Courts. They are also at the Local Court in Katherine and Tennant Creek on days when cases are being heard.

The initial advice session is free, however you will be assessed before you are granted ongoing legal advice and you will need to pay a small fee. 

A duty lawyer is also available for legal advice and information on Family Law Court cases. They can help with negotiations, completing forms, and asking for your case to be moved another date. 

Contacts details

You can either:

Opening hours 

Open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.30pm.

Location   Mail Fax number
Darwin
6th floor, 9 – 11 Cavenagh Street
Darwin NT 0800  
Locked Bag 11
Darwin NT 0801
(08) 8999 3099
Palmerston
Shop 6, Goyder Centre
25 Chung Wah Terrace
Palmerston NT 0830  
Shop 6, Goyder Centre
25 Chung Wah Terrace
Palmerston NT 0830  
(08) 8999 4747
Katherine
20 Second Street
Katherine NT 0851  
PO Box 145
Katherine NT 0851
(08) 8973 8551
Tennant Creek
Shop 3, 163 Paterson Street
Tennant Creek NT 0860  
PO Box 794
Tennant Creek NT 0861
(08) 8962 2439
Alice Springs
77 Hartley Street
Alice Springs NT 0870  
PO Box 969
Alice Springs NT 0871
(08) 8951 5378

Darwin Community Legal Services

Darwin Community Legal Services (DCLS) offers a range of free legal and support services.

Free legal advice sessions are held three times a week in Darwin, Casuarina and Palmerston. Sessions are also held at other Top End venues such as Katherine.

The sessions operate on a first come first served basis.  You can talk confidentially about your legal problem with a lawyer who can give you advice and suggest action. They may also help you to write a letter or prepare other simple documents.

You may attend these free sessions more than once. They can offer advice on common legal problems with some exceptions, so you should contact them first to check.

Contact details

Winlow House
Level 2, 75 Woods Street 
Darwin NT 0800
GPO Box 3180
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 1800 812 953 or (08) 8982 1111
Fax: 08 8982 1112
info@dcls.org.au


Women's legal services

This page contains information on women's legal services in the Northern Territory.

TEWLS is a community legal service that provides free and culturally appropriate legal services for women in the greater Darwin region.

Services include:

  • legal advice and information
  • casework representation
  • community legal education
  • advocacy and policy submissions
  • referrals, as appropriate.

TEWLS can provide legal services in most family and civil law matters including:

  • family law including:
    • divorce
    • parenting
    • property matters
  • domestic and family violence
  • housing and tenancy
  • consumer law
  • debts, fines and welfare rights
  • housing and tenancy
  • sexual assault
  • discrimination
  • compensation for victims of crime
  • complaints about government and other services.

TEWLS is not able to provide legal advice about criminal, immigration or commercial law matters. It is not able to help with drafting wills.

It provides in-house legal clinics as well as outreach services through regular visits to the following communities and locations:

  • Knuckey's Lagoon
  • Bagot community
  • Belyuen community
  • Palmerston Indigenous Village
  • Acacia/ Larrakia community
  • Amangal community
  • Palmerston - at the GP Super Clinic
  • Dawn House Women's Shelter
  • Royal Darwin Hospital
  • Darwin Correctional Centre
  • Adult Migrant English Program, Charles Darwin University.

Contact details

Phone: 1800 234 441 or 08 8982 3000
Fax: 08 8941 9935
admin@tewls.org.au

Postal address:

GPO Box 1901
Darwin NT 0801

Street address:

2/17 Lindsay Street
Darwin NT 0801

Opening hours
Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

The Domestic Violence Legal Service provides the following services to victims or people at risk of domestic and family violence:

  • applying for a domestic violence order (DVO)
  • changing a DVO
  • extending a DVO
  • removing a DVO
  • Police domestic violence orders
  • legal representation
  • duty lawyer service at the Darwin Local Court domestic violence lists - currently Tuesdays and Fridays
  • community legal education
  • referrals to support services and other legal services.

Darwin and Palmerston only.

Contact

For further information or to make an appointment contact:

Phone: 08 8999 7977
Fax: 08 8911 0016
info@dvls.nt.gov.au

PO Box 2925
Darwin NT 0801

1st Floor, Zone B, Nichols Place
Cnr Cavenagh and Bennett Streets
Darwin NT 0801

Opening hours
Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Women can get legal advice in all of the following areas:

  • children
  • separation and divorce
  • family and domestic violence
  • victims of crime compensation
  • wills and deceased estates
  • superannuation
  • child protection
  • credit and debt.

Contact details

Shop 5 Katherine Arcade
Katherine

PO Box 1194
Katherine NT 0851

Phone: 08 8972 1712 or 1800 620 108
Fax: 08 8972 1572

Free legal advice for all Central Australian women, including all of the following areas:

  • domestic violence orders
  • family law problems including children, property and child support
  • compensation, including victims of crime, vehicle accidents and workplace claims
  • child protection
  • discrimination
  • employment and dismissal
  • credit and debt
  • tenancy.

Contact details

1 Stott Terrace
Alice Springs NT 0870

PO Box 3496
Alice Springs NT 0871
Phone: 08 8952 4055 or 1800 684 055
Fax: 08 8952 4033


Indigenous legal services

North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA)

NAAJA provides legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Top End. Their core legal practice is criminal, civil and family law.

They can represent Indigenous people in civil cases including all of the following areas:

  • compensation
  • coronial inquests
  • employment disputes
  • adult guardianship
  • child protection.

NAAJA lawyers can represent you in the:

Contact details

Location Mail Phone and fax
NAAJA Darwin
61 Smith Street
Darwin 
PO Box 1064
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: (08) 8982 5100 or 1800 898 251
Fax: (08) 8982 5195 (Criminal) or (08) 8982 5199 (Civil)
NAAJA Katherine
10 Third Street
Katherine 
PO Box 1944
Katherine NT 0851
Phone: (08) 8972 5000 or 1800 897 728
Fax: (08) 8972 5050 (Criminal) or (08) 8982 5060 (Civil)

NAAJA Throughcare office
2/41 Georgina Crescent
Yarrawonga, Palmerston

  Phone: (08) 8931 7400 or 1800 321 201
Fax: (08) 8931 7444

Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS)

CAALAS provides legal advice and representation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Central Australia, as well as community legal education.

CAALAS offers legal help in all of the following areas:

  • criminal law
  • civil law
  • family law
  • welfare rights.

Contacts details

Location Mail Phone and fax
CAALAS Alice Springs
55 Bath Street
Alice Springs
PO Box 1670
Alice Springs NT 0870
Phone: (08) 8950 9300 or 1800 636 079
Fax: (08) 8953 0784
CAALAS Tennant Creek
68 Paterson Street
Tennant Creek NT 0861
PO Box 56
Tennant Creek NT 0861
Phone: (08) 8950 9300 or 1800 636 079
Fax: (08) 8953 0784

Domestic Violence Legal Service

The Domestic Violence Legal Service provides the following services to victims or people at risk of domestic and family violence:

  • free confidential legal advice (Darwin City or Palmerston) on your options including:
    • applying for a domestic violence order (DVO)
    • changing a DVO
    • extending a DVO
    • removing a DVO
    • police domestic violence orders.
  • legal representation
  • duty lawyer service at the Darwin Magistrates Court DV list (currently Fridays)
  • community legal education
  • referrals to support services and other legal services.

Contacts

For more information, or to make an appointment, contact the office Monday to Friday, 8am – 4pm:

Phone:  08 8999 7977
Fax:  08 8999 7979 
info@dvls.nt.gov.au

PO Box 2925
Darwin NT  0801

Level 1, Nichols Place
Cnr Cavenagh and  Bennett Sts
DARWIN NT  0801


How to find a private lawyer

All lawyers in the Northern Territory (NT) need to have a practising certificate from the Law Society of the Northern Territory.

A law society scheme allows you to have an initial 30 minute consultation with a lawyer for $99 including GST.

If you are unsure of the type of lawyer you need, you can call the legal referral service on 08 8981 5104.

You can also find a lawyer using the legal directory on the Law Society NT website.