iStock 1386397296 Drouin

If you need legal help in Drouin and the greater Gippsland region, it can be difficult to know how to get advice and where to get it. This problem only increases in difficulty when you have a limited financial budget.

That’s why the team Gippsland Community Legal Service are proud to offer their assistance to you. They provide high quality legal advice for Drouin residents, absolutely free of charge. Whether you need urgent help with a family violence matter, or you need advice when navigating separation with your partner, Gippsland Community Legal Service are here to assist you with your legal concern.

Here are some of the issues with which Drouin residents turn to GCLS:

Family violence

Family violence is an issue that the team at GCLS are passionate to help you resolve and overcome. If you’re experiencing a family violence situation at home, GCLS can help you with legal advice, just as they have done for other Drouin families in the past. All advice is completely free of charge.

Sadly, family violence in Drouin and the Shire of Baw Baw is not uncommon. The region experiences an above-average rate of family violence cases per capita, compared with the Victorian average. While the average rate of family violence incidents in Victoria is 1364.7 per 100,000 people, the rate in Baw Baw stands at 1785.9 per 100,000 people.

The team at GCLS prioritise family violence cases in Drouin and are ready to help you with free legal services. Some of the services that GCLS offers include:

  • Intervention order advice before Court
  • Duty lawyers who can provide advice, representation and referrals on the day you have to attend Court
  • In some cases, assistance for respondents to intervention orders
  • Help with legal problems beyond intervention orders, including tenancy, parenting plans, debts, fines, infringements and more.

If you’re experiencing family violence in Drouin, you are not alone. GCLS have helped other Drouin individuals and families to overcome unsafe environments at home. Consult the team at GCLS and get free legal help.

Family law and separation

All legal issues can come with stress, but separation can be a particularly difficult time. There are added impacts on children, grandparents, friends and extended family too. GLCS understand the troubles of separation for Drouin residents and are there for you when you need them. The GCLS team offers the best quality free legal advice and are sympathetic to your situation.

When dealing with separation and divorce for people in Drouin, GCLS encourage families to resolve matters without going to court, and provide legal advice to help you avoid the courtroom. Going to court proves to be financially and emotionally stressful for all parties involved which is why Australia’s family law system endeavours to resolve issues without resorting to court.

Gippsland Community Legal Service can help Drouin residents who:

  • Want to make a property settlement after separation or divorce
  • Want to make arrangements for the parenting of their children
  • Need to apply to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for financial and/or parenting orders.
  • Want to apply for a divorce
  • Need help with other legal issues as part of relationship breakdown, including family violence, debts and financial stresses and tenancy issues.

Family law and child contact

In Drouin, child contact issues are another common problem experienced by residents. Child contact issues are a challenging time for all parties involved. Whether your child is refusing to see you or their other parent, the team at GCLS can provide quality legal advice, free of charge, on how to best navigate child contact issues.

GCLS can also help parents whose children are refusing to see their other parent, due to family violence, abuse, or any other kind of issue. Contact the team at Gippsland Community Legal Service to learn more.

Tenancy

Tenancy disputes are another area of law in which the team at GCLS are experienced in resolving. They offer you top quality legal advice for free, helping you resolve common issues around tenancy such as inability to pay rent and eviction notices. If you’ve been issued with an eviction notice in Drouin, or you’ve found yourself unable to pay rent on time, the team at GCLS can help.

Here are some common issues experienced by Drouin residents:

  • Financial difficulties and struggling to pay rent
  • Eviction or challenging a notice to vacate
  • Having a dispute with your property manager or rental provider about repairs and maintenance of rental properties
  • Negotiating and dealing with a government or community housing agency about tenancy
  • Seeking compensation from rental providers who breach their duties under the rental agreement
  • Applying to and attending VCAT for your tenancy issues

Fines

There are times when fines are unjustly or wrongly issued. If you’re a Drouin resident who’s recently received a fine and you consider it wrongly or unjustly issued, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Gippsland Community Legal Service.

They help Drouin residents resolve issues relating to fines, such as:

  • Helping you nominate the person who incurred the fine or infringement if it is currently in your name
  • Requesting a review of the fines or infringements
  • Negotiating a payment plan
  • Helping you access the Work and Development Permit Scheme, which allows some fines or infringements to be worked off through activities or treatment
  • Helping you access the Family Violence Scheme, which allows some fines to be withdrawn where family violence substantially contributed to the fine or infringement being incurred
  • Helping you choose to take the fine or infringement to Court if you want to contest it.

Gippsland Community Legal Service are here for you

The team at GCLS are pleased to offer free legal advice for a range of issues other than the ones mentioned here. Whether you require legal help relating to employment, wills and power of attorneys, consumer complaints, or something different, contact GCLS and get the support you need.

Gippsland Community Legal Service