Darwin Community Legal Service
Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) is a free, confidential service that supports members of the community to protect their legal rights. Through fair access to legal advice and support, we advocate to resolve issues of injustice and disadvantage. Our service is independent and we aim to be fearless.
Darwin Community Legal Service :
Provides legal help, advocacy and support services,
Collaborates to understand obstacles to justice and try to achieve reform, and
Promotes understanding and acceptance of rights, justice and inclusion.
DCLS is a multi-disciplinary service consisting of:
- General Legal Service – information, referral, legal advice and representation in areas of civil law affecting basic rights – Darwin, Palmerston & surrounds, and NT wide where appropriate resources available. Including Volunteer Advice Sessions – NT wide, and the new Veterans Legal Service.
- Tenants’ Advice Service – information, referral, legal advice, legal help including representation for tenants – NT wide.
- Seniors and Disability Rights Service – support, advocacy and empowerment by, with and for seniors and people with a disability – especially Top End but NT wide.
- Special projects including Older Person’ Abuse and NDIS appeals.
- Collaborative community legal education, projects, organising and advocacy for rights, justice and inclusion.
FREE INITIAL LEGAL ADVICE – Locations & times
NT Wide Service – Free Legal Advice
Phone Appointments available for people outside of Darwin CBD
|
Darwin – DCLS office Legal Clinics Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm Phone & In Person Call to book your appointment |
Darwin – DCLS office After Hours Legal Clinics Every Tuesday & Thursday 5.30pm – 7.30pm Phone or Walk ins welcome |
|
Additional After Hours Legal Clinics Palmerston Library 4th Monday of Every Month 6.00pm – 7.00pm Walk ins welcome
|
Additional After Hours Legal Clinics Casuarina Library 2nd Saturday of each month 10.00am – 11.45am Walk ins welcome
|
DCLS Office – Level 2 -75 Wood St, Darwin
Please call us on 08 8982 1111 for more information or an appointment
Our services
General Legal Service
Provides assists with:
- Complaint processes – where and how to complain
- Social Security/Centrelink – eligibility, debts, breaches, Centrelink errors
- Employment – conditions, entitlements, unfair dismissal
- Discrimination – race, age, disability, gender, sexual harassment etc.
- Credit and debt – consumer credit, loan defaults, contesting and negotiating debts
- Consumer issues – faulty goods / work, scams / rip-offs, unfair practices
- NDIS – proper plans, appeals, complaints
- Adult guardianship – defending applications and/or helping guardians
- Accessing other services – including other legal services
- Working the system – engaging and pressing for reform
Tenants Advice Service
TAS provides information, advice and, in some cases, legal representation to all NT tenants including those renting privately, in public housing, caravan parks, boarding and share houses with:
- Tenants’ rights and responsibilities
- Lease terms – e.g. pets, water bills, bond, rent increases
- Repairs and maintenance
- Bond returns
- Cleaning and other conditions when vacating premises
- Lease break/ending a lease early
- Evictions
- Damage and domestic and family violence lease issues
- Department of Housing – antisocial behaviour, Housing applications, debts
- Blacklisting/Residential Tenancy Databases
- Tribunal proceedings
- Fact sheets, template letters and guides to inform and support your rights
Seniors and Disability Rights Service
The Seniors and Disability Rights Service (SDRS) assists, and can advocate for, older people or people with disabilities and their representatives to:
- Understand their rights through information and community education
- Receive aged care services or disability support
- Engage with the Guardianship process
- Developing Advance Personal Plans or Powers of Attorney
- Raise systemic issues
- NDIS help: we have a team of experienced NDIS lawyers and advocates who can offer free, confidential help. Information to help people access the NDIS and get the supports they need.
- Older Persons’ Abuse Prevention Project – NT wide Older Persons’ Abuse Information Line provides information, education and referrals;
Featured resources
We gratefully acknowledge the Law Society NT Public Purposes Trust for funding these videos
Acknowledgment of Land
DCLS acknowledges the Larrakia people as the Traditional Owners of the Darwin region. We pay our respects to the Larrakia elders past, present and emerging. We also acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country throughout the NT and throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We are grateful that we share this land and express our sorrow for the costs of this sharing to Australia’s First Peoples. We will continue to acknowledge the legacy of our history and strive in our goals to empower our community through social justice. We hope that our efforts will contribute to a realisation of equity, justice and partnership with traditional custodians of this land.
DCLS supports Voice –Treaty –Truth
