Putting the law to work, a new report released by the Federation of Community Legal Centres, recommends increased funding for free or low-cost legal help for employment law matters to address the limited services, high need and unmet demand in Victoria.

A 2012 Australia-wide legal needs survey found that, in a sample of 4,410 Victorians, 5.9 per cent reported having employment problems, with 58.5 per cent of these having substantial legal problems.

This indicates that employment-related legal problems present a significant area of legal need across Victoria, yet services are limited and underfunded, resulting in a “referral roundabout” for people who are unable to afford a private lawyer. Continue reading →