When you contact Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) seeking assistance, you may be advised that we cannot assist. This factsheet sets out the reasons why we may not be able to assist.

Some areas we can provide advice on:

• Family law, parenting, property, child support
• Child protection
• Domestic and family violence
• Protection of sexual assault counselling records

We cannot provide you with advice in other areas of law. This may include…

• Breaches of a Protection Order
• Criminal law
• Tenancy issues
• Employment
• Discrimination
• Wills
• Guardianship matters

Community legal organisations such as WLSQ exist to provide assistance to vulnerable and disadvantaged clients.

We are often the first point of contact for women seeking assistance, or their last resort when all other attempts to seek legal assistance have failed.

Women are assessed internally according to eligibility requirements and capacity when they connect with the WLSQ Helpline, receive a legal advice appointment from one of the WLSQ lawyers, or are referred to WLSQ.

Priority will be provided to vulnerable and disadvantaged women, including women who:

a. Are experiencing domestic violence;
b. Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander;
c. Are from a culturally or linguistically diverse background;
d. Are living with a disability;
e. Live in a rural, regional or remote area;
f. Are experiencing financial hardship.

Conflict of interest check

When you contact WLSQ, you will be asked your full name and date of birth and the names and dates of birth of the other people involved in your matter. We will then conduct a search of our file management system.

What is a conflict of interest?

WLSQ is a Community Legal Centre that is bound by professional obligations and duties to our clients and the court. This applies to everyone who works or volunteers at WLSQ.

A conflict of interest occurs when our duty to our client conflicts with another duty like a duty to another client or the court. A common example of a conflict of interest is providing legal advice to both parties in a dispute.

WLSQ is bound by professional obligations that state we cannot assist someone where we may have a conflict of interest.

If conflict of interest is identified

If we identify that a conflict of interest exists, we cannot assist you and we cannot provide you with any information about how or why there is a conflict of interest.

This may mean we have helped you in the past and cannot help you now or that we must abruptly stop helping you.

If we identify a conflict of interest, this does not mean that we do not want to help you. We will refer you to another service who may be able to assist you.

Examples of conflicts of interest

• WLSQ assists Sally with her family law case with Frank. At that time, Frank is in a relationship with Robyn. A couple of years later Robyn contacts WLSQ for assistance with her separation from Frank. WLSQ cannot advise Robyn.
• WLSQ assists Mary with her domestic violence case with Charlie and his mother Leah is a witness in the case. Leah then contacts WLSQ seeking advice about applying for a protection order against Mary. WLSQ cannot assist Leah.
• WLSQ assists Susan with a parenting case with Chris. Susan’s mother Peta then contacts WLSQ asking for advice about spending time with her grandchildren. WLSQ cannot assist Peta.

WLSQ cannot give you advice if you already have a lawyer acting for you in the case.   This includes if you want to check the advice your lawyer has provided to you.  This is sometimes referred to as second opinion advice.