Community Legal Centres face funding cut from July 1

UPDATE: The Federal Government has announced a reversal of the planned cuts. However, Community Legal Centres are still facing a surge in community need that the Productivity Commission estimates requ...

Lawyers and Referrer Conflict—an underrated risk

The risk of a conflict of interest can arise in some arrangements where lawyers have a relationship with a party from which they receive regular client referrals. The extent of this conflict of intere...

Access to Justice Review

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the Access to Justice Review. We have provided responses to specific relevant questions raised under each...

Unable to open the letterbox – money and mental health

Money is a major cause of distress for many Australians and for some Australians with mental health problems, there are times when being financially responsible for yourself simply isn’t possible. Man...

Are Private Car Parks “Fines” Legitimate?

One of the most common questions asked of our legal practice is about the legitimacy of private car park payment notices and how to challenge them. A number of car parks are operated by private compa...

Submission: Changes to Credit Ombudsman Scheme Rules

Consumer Action had provided comment on the Credit Ombudsman Service’s proposes changes to COSL Rules: 9th Edition. We commend the Credit Ombudsman Service on its drafting of the proposed changes, mo...

Submission: Access to Justice Arrangements

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Productivity Commission on its Issues Paper, Access to Justice Arrangements. The key points and recommendations made in this submission are: The inq...

Dispute Resolution: Consumer Disputes in VCAT

Key points If you have a dispute with a business, you can make a complaint to VCAT; Small Claims in VCAT are designed for consumers to represent themselves; application fees are usually wai...

Advocating for vulnerable, low income debtors

Low-income debtors often get the worst deal when it comes to dealing with debt—inaccessible or weak hardship assistance, particularly for those in long-term hardship; misleading or severe debt collect...

What if I have been sued for a debt?

Key message Act quickly to get advice if you have been sued for a debt in the Magistrate’s Court of Victoria. The Magistrates Court Process If the amount owed is $100,000 or less, a creditor...
1 2 3 4