The Victorian bushfires have been devastating for communities in East Gippsland and North East Victoria. We understand it will take time for people who have been affected to work through the aftermath, with fires still active, access yet to be restored to some areas and bushfire season continuing.
We will be here over the coming weeks and months to help Victorians as they begin the process of recovering from the fires and become aware of their legal issues.
What we can help with
A range of issues can surface after a bushfire. Many of those are legal issues that we can help with, including:
- problems with insurance claims, including rejected claims
- difficulty paying your mortgage or loans
- disputes with your landlord about rent or leases
- lost or destroyed documents, including Wills, land titles and identification documents
- property or assets that have been damaged or destroyed
- difficulty getting payments from Centrelink
- existing legal issues that have been impacted by the bushfires, such as parenting arrangements and child support.
How we can help
We can give you information about common legal issues and questions, provide advice to help you understand your legal options and connect you with other services for ongoing assistance.
How to get help
Call us on 1800 113 432, 8 am to 6 pm weekdays.
For information about common legal issues you may be experiencing as a result of the fires, visit our Get help section.
For more support services that can help if you have been impacted by the Victorian fires, visit the VicEmergency Relief and Recovery .
What is Disaster Legal Help?
Disaster Legal Help Victoria provides free legal assistance to Victorians affected by a disaster. It was originally formed to provide free legal support for those affected by the February 2009 Victorian bushfires.
Disaster Legal Help Victoria is a partnership between Victoria Legal Aid, the Federation of Community Legal Centres, the Law Institute of Victoria, the Victorian Bar and Justice Connect.
Reviewed 01 December 2021