Fair Access to Justice
To provide accessible, high-quality support and advocacy to individuals and communities across the South West to achieve fair and just legal outcomes.
Legal assistance is available by appointment only, and while we strive to provide support, our capacity may be limited by various factors such as complexity, conflict of interest, eligibility, and merit. Please note that ongoing support is not guaranteed.
You will be asked about your income and your assets prior to being given an appointment. Whether SWCLC can provide assistance in your matter will depend on whether you satisfy our intake requirements, and whether the solicitors have capacity to take on your matter.
SWCLC provides legal assistance services to the whole of the South West region. You will be asked for your residential address when you contact us to make an appointment.
South West Community Legal Centre (SWCLC) was born from a modest yet significant beginning when in 1988 a pro bono solicitor began offering evening legal services to the community. There was a clear need for community-based legal assistance for individuals who were unable to access services through Legal Aid or the private legal sector.. As a result, our services were built to bridge the gap between access to justice for those unable to access other legal services.
Originally called Bunbury Community Legal Centre, our service underwent a name change in 2016. We became South West Community Legal Centre Inc, to better reflect our service area which covers the entire South West region of Western Australia. Today SWCLC employs sixteen staff members, including Chief Executive Officer Tahleisha Bennell-Mustica, Principal Solicitor Renée Turner, senior and junior solicitors, paralegals, and non-legal support workers who work together to offer accessible legal services to disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals who may otherwise be unable to obtain professional legal support within the region.
We continue to provide legal advice in a variety of family and generalist civil legal matters including both parenting and property settlement matters, domestic violence, Criminal Injuries Compensation Claims, Tenancy advice, and duty lawyer services. For more information about our services, please refer to 'Our Services' tab.
South West Community Legal Centre Inc. is governed by a Board of Management and is an Incorporated Association under the Incorporated Associations Act 2015. SWCLC receives funding from a number of sources which can be found above under ‘Our Funders and Supporters’ as well as donations from our clients. Our current board members for the 2026-2027 financial year include the following:
The Public Purposes Trust
The Law Society of Western Australia
Australian Government - Attorney General's Department
Government of Western Australia - Department of Attorney General
Government of Western Australia - Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
Family Advocacy & Support Services
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