When things go wrong, we all need somewhere to turn.
For many Victorians, it will be a community legal service.
Too many Victorians are being turned away from free legal help when they need it most.
Send a message to your local MPs now to support properly funded community legal services - it only takes 30 seconds.
Community Legal - We've got your back.
Last year, community legal services helped more than 75,000 Victorians with over 170,000 legal problems.
We give people the information, advice, support and representation they need to prevent small problems from getting worse and to sort things out when disaster strikes.
But for every person we help, two more are turned away.
Victoria's 50 community legal services are on the frontlines of the biggest challenges facing Victorian households.
We keep people safe from family violence, relieve financial hardship, support kids in schools, work in hospitals and stand with local communities hit by fires and floods.
Wherever you live, learn or work - Community legal services have got your back.
A fair Victoria is one where everyone can get the help they need, no matter where we live or how much we earn.
However, too many Victorians are going without legal help, with Victoria Law Foundation data showing 78 per cent of legal need goes unmet – not because their problems aren’t serious, but because they cannot afford a lawyer.
Community legal services provide free, trusted support that addresses problems early, before they escalate into crises. Without additional investment, more and more people will be left to deal with their problems without help, worsening outcomes for people and communities, and creating greater pressure on government systems.
Evaluations and economic modelling prove that investing in the community legal sector will reduce unnecessary personal and community harm, save costs in the justice system, make our community safer and unlock the full potential of Victoria.
A smart investment in a fairer Victoria
Investing in the community legal services that support Victorians will:
> Keep Victorians safe from family violence
> Keep Victorians in their homes
> Ease cost-of-living pressures
> Support children and young people in crisis
> Strengthen communities and systems
> Help communities prepare for and respond to climate disasters
We are calling on all parties and candidates at the 2026 Victorian Election to commit to:
1. Secure five-year funding for existing community legal programs
2. Invest $120 million over the next term of parliament to give 120,000 more Victorians the help they need
Use the form below to send a message to your local MPs now.
Read our Victorian Election Platform
For more information or to sign on to the campaign, email [email protected].
