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Shoalcoast Community Legal Centre started operations almost 20 years ago, in October 1999, as there was no community legal centre or legal aid office located south of Wollongong, despite great need for one.
A high proportion of disadvantaged people on the South Coast were unable to pay for legal advice from private lawyers.
Shoalcoast CLC is funded by state and federal governments to provide free legal advice and information to residents of the Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley shire.
This legal advice is given to to promote social justice to those within the community who experience social and economic disadvantage.
At the current time and due to growth over its 20 year history, Shoalcoast CLC employs 15 people, having started in 1999 with a small team of just four.
The team comprises of seven solicitors, four administrative staff, and four project workers.
Shoalcoast CLC is managed by a dedicated volunteer management committee, made up of eight members.
Shoalcoast CLC primary service is free legal advice and assistance. The primary method of the provision of legal advice is by telephone. Face-to-face appointments are provided by solicitors when determined necessary.
Limited representation and assistance is available based on clients meeting financial disadvantage requirements.
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Shoalcoast CLC is special as it is embedded within the communities it serves. Community legal centres address a need in communities by providing fair and equal access to justice.
Community legal centres help people deal with their legal issues and aims for early intervention to assist with ensuring their problems don't spiral further out of control.
When times are tough, a community legal centre can help clients to understand the problem and put measures in place to get things back on track.
If clients have a problem the service can't provide advice on, it will offer information on where to seek assistance.
Shoalcoast CLC also provides community legal education to both the community in general and workers in the provision of services to the community.
In the 2017-18 financial year, Shoalcoast CLC provided 1315 legal advices, 29 community legal education activities, and 1879 information/referrals.
Shoalcoast CLC has found the legal need in its catchment area is growing steadily and aims to provide accessible legal advice to all who need it, in a timely manner.
The clients of community legal centres are those who are facing injustice, whose legal problem is not profitable, and whose life circumstances are affected entirely by this problem.
Getting legal advice early and in direct response to the client's specific needs can prevent further problems occurring and empower the client to be able to respond appropriately next time they or someone they know faces the problem again.
All workers at Shoalcoast CLC enjoy working with the community and seeing great outcomes and resolutions for clients.
Shoalcoast CLC is involved in the community and strongly collaborates with government agencies, community and private service providers.
Shoalcoast CLC would like to acknowledge Dianne Day, who has been with Shoalcoast CLC since 1999. Dianne is dedicated to assisting clients and especially enjoys working on projects that have outcomes for the community and their legal knowledge.