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Record numbers of Aussies seeking legal assistance over housing problems
New figures have highlighted the growing number of Aussies reaching out for legal aid as cost-of-living and housing pressures soar.
Kace O'Neill
Record numbers of people across NSW require legal assistance due to housing and tenancy issues. According to an annual report by Legal Aid NSW, almost 4,500 people per year are now seeking help to deal with these issues.
In addition to these statistics, the report displayed that the overall demand for free legal help across the state has increased significantly, as many are struggling with the cost-of-living pressures.
“We have seen enormous demand for our services in recent years and expect it to rise further,” said Legal Aid chief executive Monique Hitter.
“Many NSW people are dealing with more legal problems but are less able to pay for a lawyer due to financial pressures.”
The key figures from the report showed that:
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There was a 20 per cent increase in Legal Aid’s mediation services that help separating couples reach out-of-court agreements.
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Legal Aid NSW’s free legal helpline and web chat service handled close to 200,000 inquiries. Calls to that service grew 25 per cent last financial year.
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Many of the helpline inquiries were related to legal problems regarding family law and parenting arrangements, employment issues, driving, disputes over goods and services, and debts.
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There was a 14 per cent increase in the number of legal representation services provided to people dealing with family, civil or criminal law issues.
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There was a 10 per cent jump in the number of services provided by duty lawyers who deliver on-the-spot free assistance at courts across NSW.
Housing-related issues were one of the standout increases from the previous report, with a 19 per cent increase pertaining to legal assistance provided to people with housing problems. That equates to 6,200 free services for housing-related issues – compared to 5,200 in the previous. The vast majority of these housing issues were related to clients facing eviction.
The sharp increase in these numbers has led to Legal Aid NSW questioning its ability to keep up with the demand.
“Early access to our free legal assistance can help to resolve those legal problems before they worsen significantly,” said Hitter.
“That’s good for families, the court system and the wider community. We will continue to work closely with the Commonwealth and state governments to ensure we can continue to meet growing demand for our services.”
