Free legal centres helping evictees, mums and kids fleeing violence forced turn away thousands

Mums and kids fleeing domestic violence and renters on the brink of homelessness are being turned away from WA’s free legal services in record numbers, with demand overwhelming the not-for-profits. More than 900 people a week will or have been turned away from the 25 community legal centres across the State this year, new data shows. That’s expected to be 48,000 people in total — 10,000 more than last year — and means the centres are turning away more people than they can help for the second year in a row. Chelsea McKinney, chief executive of the sector’s peak body Community Legal WA, described it as a growing crisis. “For every 10 people we help, we have to turn away 14 people,” Ms McKinney told The Sunday Times. “These are families facing eviction, women and children trying to leave violence, people unfairly out of a job or facing bankruptcy.” Ms McKinney said many were turned away simply because the services didn’t have enough staff and resources, forcing them to triage those most desperately in need. But Government funding was effectively standing still, with increases not even meeting inflation, she said. “We haven’t seen investment that responds to this surge in demand,” Ms McKinney said. “We’re hearing on the ground that things are worse than ever out there. But when the data has come in, we’re still shocked.” Kelly — not her real name — said her multi-layered, deeply personal legal battle dragged out over an excruciating 10 years. Without free legal help, she had to represent herself, describing manoeuvring that process as “really daunting, just horrible”. “The best I can equate it to is being in a foreign country,” Kelly said. “You don’t understand what they’re telling you, what you’re looking for. “Filling out forms, they might as well have been in a different language, the jargon they used.” She said the help prevented her from giving up, “doing something drastic”. Attorney-General Tony Buti said the centres did excellent work. “When the Cook Labor Government came into office, WA community legal centres were on life support,” Dr Buti said. On top of its funding obligations under a partnership with the Commonwealth, the State Government had committed almost $77 million over the next five years, he said, with an extra $18m coming from criminal property confiscation cash. “I have reiterated my strong support for the sector and advocated for it strongly at both the national and local levels,” Dr Buti said. “We will continue to work with CLWA and other relevant agencies to ensure all Western Australians have access to the services we need.” Shadow Attorney General Nick Goiran said the turn-away surge was “more proof that our justice system is under unsustainable strain”. “While the Attorney General needs to provide an assurance that funding levels are adequate, he also needs to get his colleagues to roll up their sleeves on prevention,” Mr Goiran said. “A responsible government doesn’t just patch the problem, it seriously tackles the causes driving people into the justice system.” Consumer Credit Legal Service says the number of women it had helped with financial abuse under a pilot program tripled in 12 months, but there was no funding to continue. Circle Green Community Legal Service says it has seen highest ever demand for unfair dismissal, discrimination and workplace exploitation assistance, but funding for its employment law service fell by 20 per cent this year.