FAMILY COURT SERVICES (DUTY LAWYER)

Legal Aid offers assistance in a duty lawyer capacity to people who require urgent assistance in relation to family law matters.

Family Court Services has 2 lawyers, a Coordinator and a paralegal based at the Family Court of WA, all of whom are able to assist.

Can the Family Court Services Duty Lawyer help me?

Family Court Services may be able to help you if you:

• Need urgent legal advice and assistance
• Have a court date that day (or the next day) and need advice or representation
• Have been served with documents and have not had a chance to respond
• Are not legally represented and feel that you are unable to represent yourself on the day.

Our service is based on means and immediate need. You are not able to make an appointment and the capacity to assist you will depend on how many other people need help on that day.

The service cannot represent you at a trial.

What can the Duty Lawyer do for me?

Our service is designed to assist you in minor matters in court and by providing some measures of legal support if you have started a case in the Family Court or are thinking about doing so. There are some restrictions on what we can do for you. We do not have the capacity to represent you on an ongoing basis.

We can:

• apply for adjournments
• appear on your behalf in short matters
• provide limited assistance to you in a Case Assessment Conference or Case Assessment Hearing (see Case Assessment Conference for more information)
• negotiate between you and the other party (or the other party's solicitors
• prepare minutes of consent orders in limited circumstances
• assist you in preparing documents for Court in some urgent cases
• give advice and minor assistance
• advise you of the other options and services available in the family law system
• guide you to alternative dispute resolution services including Family Relationships Centres, Legal Aid's Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR Program) and Family Dispute Resolution Providers
• help you with an application for Legal Aid.

Where is the Duty Lawyer?

Family Court Services is located at the Family Court of Western Australia, 150 Terrace Road Perth. When you arrive at the Court you should go to the front counter of the Registry (the main office) of the Family Court. The staff at the front counter will direct you to our service.

Last Reviewed: July 2008