Victoria Legal Aid (VLA)
How can VLA help?
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is a government-funded agency set up to ensure that people who cannot afford to pay a private lawyer can get help with their legal problems.
VLA provides:
- free legal information for all Victorians;
- free legal advice for people who meet the eligibility criteria;
- duty lawyers in most courts and tribunals;
- family dispute resolution for disadvantaged families;
- legal assistance grants for people who meet the eligibility criteria.
VLA can help people with a range of legal problems including those relating to criminal matters, family separation, family violence, mental health and discrimination.
For more information about the services that VLA provide, see Chapter 2.2: How legal aid can help.
VLA head office
Level 9, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Vic 3000
Tel: 1300 792 387
Web: www.legalaid.vic.gov.au
VLA suburban offices
Broadmeadows
Level 1, Building 1, Broadmeadows Station Centre,
1100 Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows Vic 3047
Tel: 9302 8777
Dandenong
14 Mason Street, Dandenong Vic 3175
Tel: 9767 7111
Frankston
Cnr O’Grady Avenue and Dandenong Road, Frankston Vic 3199
Tel: 9784 5222
Ringwood
23 Ringwood Street, Ringwood Vic 3134
Tel: 9259 5444
Sunshine
Level 1, 474 Ballarat Road, Sunshine Vic 3020
Tel: 9300 5333
VLA regional offices
Bairnsdale
87A Main Street, Bairnsdale Vic 3875
Tel: 5153 6444
Ballarat
106 Market Street, Ballarat Vic 3350
Tel: 5329 6222; 1800 081 719
Bendigo
424 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo Vic 3550
Tel: 5448 2333; 1800 254 500
Geelong
Level 2, 199 Moorabool Street, Geelong Vic 3220
Tel: 5226 5666; 1800 196 200
Horsham
29 Darlot Street, Horsham Vic 3400
Tel: 5381 6000; 1800 177 638
Mildura
137 Thirteenth Street, Mildura Vic 3500
Tel: 5055 4001
Morwell
4 Chapel Street, Morwell Vic 3840
Tel: 5126 6444
Shepparton
320–322 Wyndham Street, Shepparton Vic 3630
Tel: 5823 6200
Warrnambool
185 Fairy Street, Warrnambool Vic 3280
Tel: 5559 7222; 1800 651 022
Duty lawyers
VLA provides duty lawyers at many courts and tribunals across Victoria. This service is free. However, duty lawyers do not represent everyone. Call VLA’s Legal Help (free legal advice phone line) on 1300 792 387 before your court date to find out if a duty lawyer can help you and what assistance they can provide.
For more information about duty lawyers, see ‘Duty lawyers’ in Chapter 2.2: How legal aid can help.
