Find legal advice

If you're dealing with debt and legal proceedings, understanding your rights and options is important. Help is available to manage court actions, debt disputes, and repayment difficulties.

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Community legal services and legal aid

Community legal centres and legal aid agencies can assist with legal information and support. The following Legal Aid centres can offer free legal advice:

First Nations legal services

Mob Strong Debt Help – 1800 808 488 

Mob Strong offers free nationwide legal advice and financial counselling service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

  • Call 1800 808 488 – 9:30 am – 4:30 pm (AEST), Monday to Friday. 

National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS)

NATSILS is the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, representing the following services in each State and Territory across Australia:

Consumer credit legal services

Consumer credit legal services offer free advice and resources for consumers experiencing financial stress. They focus on the area of consumer credit, such as issues with credit cards, debts or repayments.

These services are available at:

Going to court for a debt

If you don't pay your debts, you might receive a notice to appear in court (like a summons or statement of claim). If you’re getting court notices or demands about a debt you owe, get legal advice immediately.

Court judgment

If the court makes a decision that you owe money, they may issue a judgment debt against you. Depending on where you live, the court might be called either the local court or the magistrates court.

The laws in each state and territory about debts vary. If you receive a court summons or have a judgment debt, seek legal advice immediately.

For more information about court judgments, visit the National Debt Helpline (NDH) page on court judgments.

Get legal advice to represent yourself in court

If you need to attend court and cannot afford legal representation, or you are not eligible for legal aid, the National Self Representation Service can help you.

The service can provide you with an appointment with a lawyer, to receive:

  • legal advice
  • assistance to ensure you have the documents and information required to appear in court
  • help to understand the legal system, court rules and alternative options for resolving disputes.

The service is provided across Australia by the following organisations:

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