NTCAT staff can provide you with information about NTCAT processes and procedures, but not legal advice.
There are a range of services in the Northern Territory that can help you with free or low-cost legal information, advice and assistance.
A list of services is provided below for your information. All services are provided by organisations external to NTCAT. If you require assistance, you should contact the relevant service directly to see if they can help you.
Alicia Johnson Justice Centre
The Alicia Johnson Justice Centre is administered by the Charles Darwin University Foundation. It brings together solicitors, final year law students and legal academics to offer concessional legal representation to low income earners in civil disputes.
NT Anti-Discrimination Commission
NT Anti-Discrimination Commission aims to eliminate discrimination from happening by raising awareness about individual’s rights and responsibilities under the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act. The Anti-Discrimination Commission has three main roles: Public education and training, handling complaints and community engagement.
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Community Justice Centre
The Community Justice Centre is a Northern Territory Government service that offers free mediation services to help people reach an agreement on a wide range of disputes.
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NT Consumer Affairs
The main functions of Consumer Affairs are associated with consumer protection within the purchase of goods and services, residential tenancies and residential building disputes.
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NT Health and Community Services Complaints Commission
NT Health and Community Services Complaints Commission provides assistance to resolve complaints about health, disability and aged services and make recommendations to improve the quality of these services.
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Law Society of NT
Law Society of NT provides an online listing of all current Northern Territory legal practitioners to help you find a qualified lawyer suitable for your needs. You will need to pay fees for the lawyer.
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NT Legal Aid
NT Legal Aid provides legal services to disadvantaged clients across the Northern Territory in most areas of criminal, family and civil law.
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Local Court of the NT
The Local Court deals with criminal and civil matters involving debts, damages or other actions in excess of $25,000 to a maximum of $250, 000.
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NT Office of the Public Guardian
NTCAT may appoint the Public Guardian as the guardian of a person with impaired decision-making capacity. They also provide information and support to private guardians.
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NT Public Trustee
NT Public Trustee provides services such as estate, trustee, will and will storage services to Northern Territory residents.
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Supreme Court of the NT
The Supreme Court is the highest Court in the Northern Territory and deals with civil and criminal matters as well as appeals.
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Top End Services
Darwin Community Legal Service
Darwin Community Legal Service (DCLS) provides a range of free services, including Seniors and Disability Advocacy; General Legal Service (‘GLS’) and the NT Tenants’ Advice Service.
GLS focuses on social security, credit and debt, consumer law, employment law, adult guardianship and many others. GLS provides daytime help and free NT wide after-hours Legal Advice Sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings – (phone or in-person), plus once a month at Casuarina, and Palmerston.
TAS focuses on initial advice and assistance for all NT tenants including public and private tenancies, and problems with maintenance, rent increases, bonds, eviction and many others.
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Domestic Violence Legal Service
DVLS provide free and confidential service for victims and survivors or those at risk of domestic and family violence in the Greater Darwin region, including advice on applying for a domestic violence order, varying or revoking an existing domestic violence order, and referrals to support services and other legal services.
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Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Services
Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Services (KWILS) is a specialist women’s legal service that provides high quality, responsive and culturally appropriate legal advice, casework and representation, community legal education, and advocacy in the areas of domestic violence, child protection, and family and civil law to all women in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region. KWILS provides free initial legal advice to all women, and those identifying as women, regardless of their circumstances.
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North Australia Aboriginal Justice Agency
NAAJA provide a legal information, advice and representation in criminal and family law matters, in addition to civil law including health care complaints, discrimination and human rights for Aboriginal people in the NT. NAAJA provides services in Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
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Top End Women’s Legal Services
TEWLS provide high quality, holistic, trauma-informed and culturally secure legal advice, casework and representation, community legal education, and advocacy to women living in the Top End region. Our areas of legal practice include family law, migration law, and civil law (domestic, family and sexual violence, victims of crime compensation, tenancy, credit and debt, discrimination, complaints, superannuation and estates, and employment law).
TEWLS can provide free legal advice to all women, or persons identifying as women, regardless of their circumstances.
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Central Australia Services
Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Unit
CAAFLU provide culturally safe, high quality and responsive free legal advice, casework, and representation in the areas of Domestic Violence Orders, Victims of Crime Compensation, Child Protection and Family Law to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors of domestic, family, and sexual violence in the Central Australian and Barkly regions, including remote. In addition, CAAFLU provides community legal education, early intervention and prevention, advocacy, non-legal client supports and referrals.
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Central Australian Women’s Legal Services
CAWLS provide high quality, responsive and culturally appropriate legal advice, casework and representation, community legal education, and advocacy in the areas of civil and family law to women living in the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek region. CAWLS are able to provide free legal advice to all women, or persons identifying as women, regardless of their circumstances.
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