Duty Lawyer Services

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Duty Lawyer Service for Family Court Circuit​

A Lawyer from our centre attends the Family Court Circuit in the form of a duty Lawyer to provide assistance in relation to Family Law Matters.

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Family Court Services has one Lawyer and a Paralegal at the Bunbury Court once a month on Family Court Circuit week.

 

Family Court Services may be able to help if you:

• Need urgent legal advice and assistance

• Have a court date that day (or the next day) and need advice or representation

• 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 Trial.

 

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. There are some restrictions on what we can do for you. We do not have capacity to represent you on an ongoing basis but can provide some further Legal Assistance by making a follow up appointment with our office.

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Duty Lawyer Service for Violence Restraining Order Applications​

Our centre provides a duty lawyer and social support service every Tuesday in the Bunbury Magistrates Court and every second Wednesday in the Busselton Magistrates court.

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Our lawyer provides advice to applicants at the ex-parte stage of their violence restraining order (VRO) application when they attend court.  Once clients fill out their initial application and affidavit they go before the Magistrate to determine whether they will be granted an interim VRO.  The lawyer assists with advice and filling out supplementary affidavits.

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Assistance is provided to applicants at the mention hearing stage of the application.  This is the hearing after the respondent has objected to the VRO. The duty lawyer will assist applicants with negotiations with the other party and with various options to settle it or set the matter down for a Trial.

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Resources:​​

Check out these helpful videos developed by Legal Aid, SWCLC and the Bunbury Magistrates Court: 

• https://www.legalaid.wa.gov.au/resources/self-help-kits-and-guides/interim-fvros/videos-interim-fvros