Legal help

Find out why we may refer you to get legal advice and where to find help.

On this page:

Why we may refer you to get legal advice

Sometimes we may recommend that you get legal advice about your enquiry.

This can be because your issue is:

  • outside our scope of advice and there is no other appropriate government agency to refer you to
  • about taking legal action that isn’t covered by our Compliance and Enforcement policy
  • particularly technical or complex in nature.

For information about what we can and can’t help you with, visit our Contact us page.

There can be costs associated with getting legal advice or making an application to a court. However, some organisations provide free or low-cost legal advice.

Legal centres

Legal aid and community legal centres

Legal aid organisations and community legal centres may provide limited free and independent legal advice.

Generally, they prioritise people experiencing disadvantage and people with special needs.

Some organisations focus on supporting people in a local area or a particular demographic, such as young workers.

You can find a community legal service near you at Community Legal Centres Australia.

Workplace Advice Service

The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) provides a Workplace Advice Service that connects eligible employees and employers with free legal help. The service is available for employment issues that involve:

  • dismissal
  • general protections
  • bullying at work
  • sexual harassment at work.

Find more information on the Commission’s Legal advice from the Workplace Advice Service page.

Unions

Unions, also known as employee associations, are organisations that represent the interests of workers in a particular industry or occupation.

Unions can help their members understand their rights at work and help with workplace issues, including representation, dispute resolution and legal advice. There can be costs associated with accessing these services, such as membership fees.

All employees are free to join or not join a union. This is known as freedom of association.

Learn more about unions, including what they can help with and your rights and protections at Representational rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

You don’t need to contact a union to access advice or assistance from us (the Fair Work Ombudsman).

A list of registered organisations including unions, can be found on the Commission’s Find a registered organisation page.

Employees can also find their relevant union at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) website at National Union Directory.

ACTU information

The ACTU is the peak body for Australian unions and is made up of 38 affiliate unions. To get in touch with the ACTU, call (03) 9664 7333 or go to their Contact us page.

Employees can also use the ACTU’s online join form to help determine which union is suitable for them. Go to Which is the union for you?

Employer associations

Employer associations are organisations that represent the interests of businesses and employers in a particular industry or sector. There are a diverse range of organisations, both registered and unregistered, that offer different services.

Employer associations may offer a range of services including access to workplace information, support and advice, as well as legal representation. There can be costs associated with accessing these services, such as membership fees.

All employers are free to join or not join an employer association. This is known as freedom of association.

You don’t need to contact an employer association to access advice or assistance from us (the Fair Work Ombudsman).

Examples of peak employer bodies include:

A list of registered employer associations can be found on the Commission’s Find a registered organisation page.

List of associations

Find a list and summary of key industry and employer associations under ‘Our network’ at the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman website.

Other legal organisations

Many organisations play a part in Australia's legal system.

These organisations will not be able to represent you on a particular matter.

Law societies and institutes

Law societies and institutes have legal referral services to help find lawyers specialising in certain areas of law.

We may recommend that you go to the law society or institute in your state or territory:

Legislation and court judgments

Australasian Legal Information Institute provides access to legislation and court judgments as well as summaries on the law.

Federal Register of Legislation provides online copies of Commonwealth legislation and related documents.

Courts

The Federal Court of Australia has jurisdiction to deal with most civil disputes, along with some criminal matters.

The High Court of Australia is the highest court in Australia. It decides cases of federal significance and hears appeals from federal, state and territory courts.

Related information