NQWLS provides free and confidential legal advice and referrals by telephone for women in North, Far North and North West Queensland.

NQWLS offers women the opportunity to speak confidentially with a female lawyer about the legal issues arising from a relationship breakdown and / or a situation concerning family or domestic violence. Interpreter services can be arranged.

Phone: 1800 244 504
Hours of operation: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from  9am to 1pm

If you need URGENT legal advice outside these hours please call Legal Aid Queensland 1300 651 188 or the Family Relationship Advice Line 1800 050 321

Helpful tips

• Write your questions down

• Write down important events

• If you have relevant documents have them handy so that you can refer to them

NQWLS provides free and confidential face to face legal advice by appointment with one of its female lawyers.

Appointments are usually for 45 minutes. If further ongoing legal assistance is required, and the matter is within NQWLS casework guidelines, limited ongoing assistance may be available. The type of assistance will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the circumstances of the client, NQWLS guidelines and the availability of resources at any given time.

Helpful tips

• Bring any court orders, documents or letters about your legal issue to the appointment

• If you need an interpreter please let us know when making the appointment

NQWLS provides free and confidential legal advice by appointment with one of its female lawyers to women who live in North, Far North and North West Queensland. NQWLS provides legal advice to women who reside from south to Sarina, north to Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands, and west to the Northern Territory Border.

To assist women in the rural/regional/remote locations of NQWLS service region our organisation provides face to face appointments in the following locations:

NQWLS provides free and confidential legal advice by appointment with one of its female lawyers using Skype.

Appointments are usually for 45 minutes. If further ongoing legal assistance is required, and the matter is within NQWLS casework guidelines, limited ongoing assistance may be available. The type of assistance will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the circumstances of the client, NQWLS guidelines and the availability of resources at any given time.

To assist women in the rural/regional/remote locations of NQWLS service region our organisation provides Skype appointments to the following locations;

NQWLS provides a free and confidential duty lawyer service at the Cairns and Townsville Magistrates Courts.

In Cairns the duty lawyer is present each Thursday and in Townsville she is present each Monday and Thursday for Domestic Violence Court. NQWLS lawyers provide free legal advice, court support, legal information and referrals for unrepresented women (whether they are the aggrieved or the respondent) who have a matter relating to a domestic violence protection order in court that day. The lawyer may appear in Court on behalf of a client or assist with negotiations regarding the issue of a Protection Order. The lawyer cannot appear in disputed hearings or represent a client at a trial.

The type of assistance will be determined on a case by case basis depending on the circumstances of the client, NQWLS casework guidelines and the availability of resources at any given time.

Cairns

Level 2, Cairns Magistrates Courts, 5 Sheridan Street, CAIRNS QLD 4870
Hours of operation: Thursday,  8:30am-1pm (or later where required)

Townsville

Magistrates Court Townsville 31 Walker Street, TOWNSVILLE QLD 4870
Hours of operation:  Monday & Thursday and every 2nd Wednesday 8.30am–12.00pm (or later where required)

Helpful tips

• Before coming to court, phone NQWLS Legal Advice Line to see how NQWLS may be able to assist with your domestic violence protection order matter

• Arrive at court at least 30 minutes prior to the time your matter is scheduled to begin, to ensure you have time to speak with the duty lawyer

• If you are in fear for your safety there is a safe room available at the court and you should speak with court staff about this

• If you are having trouble finding the duty lawyer at court, speak to a person from the Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service or the North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service in Townsville or court staff at the information counter

• If you need assistance at court when NQWLS lawyers are not there, ask to see the court support workers from the Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Service or the North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service in Townsville