A volunteer run legal service everyone can rely on

The Northern Beaches is seen as an area of higher socioeconomic status but looks can be deceiving, and three decades ago a local group of lawyers saw an urgent and unmet need in the community – access to free legal advice. Whilst well established Community Legal Centres (CLCs) existed in other parts of Sydney, there were no such services on the Northern Beaches. The Manly Legal Advice Service (MLAS) was born. 

Originally based at the Warringah Shire Council chambers in Dee Why, where it was known as the ‘Referral Service’, the Manly Legal Advice Service today is stationed in the Community Northern Beaches building at 52 Raglan Street, Manly. And for nearly 30 years the MLAS has been providing members of the Northern Beaches community with a free, walk-in, legal advice service, with expertise available on family, criminal, commercial, aviation, property conveyancing, and estate planning legal matters. 

The law affects nearly every aspect of our lives. However, understanding your rights and responsibilities – how to seek protection from the law, or make or challenge a legal decision – can be complicated. Attempting to navigate the law by yourself can be confusing and risks you losing out on the best outcome. What happens then when tasked with tackling a legal challenge, but can’t afford to engage a lawyer?  

People of many different walks of life access the service. Whether young or old, an Australian citizen or refugee, employed or unemployed, single or coupled, high school or tertiary educated, new to the Northern Beaches or have lived here your whole life, everyone is welcome. And there are a variety of reasons someone may access MLAS. 

It could be a failed marriage, or the realisation of a remote business risk, and financial hardship. In recent years there has been a trend of older women facing homelessness accessing the service. Mental health issues are also common, as well as pockets of disadvantage where people have been let down by the system and find themselves facing a legal predicament they don’t understand. 

A challenge MLAS faces is overcoming the stigma attached to accessing legal aid, meaning that knowledge about the service doesn’t always travel by word of mouth. Even though clients often report being incredibly happy with the service, it’s not necessarily good news that is easily shared with friends and family. Visitor numbers also dropped and have not recovered since the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The volunteer lawyers at MLAS are engaged by the work for a number of reasons. Some talk about how the service keeps them grounded, and that helping people brings them joy, being part of the journey towards happier, healthier clients. Others speak of their experience as helping the community at large, because in assisting people in the criminal justice system they mitigate against the risk of reoffending.