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Early Intervention Unit

Legal Aid NSW statewide specialist service.

The Early Intervention Unit (EIU) is a statewide specialist service of Legal Aid NSW. Our lawyers help people to sort out their family law and care and protection law problems before they become serious.

Our lawyers can help parties in a case, including:

  • parents
  • de facto partners
  • grandparents and kinship or extended family members.

We have special supports including interpreters and culturally safe practices available for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Even if another person in your case has a Legal Aid lawyer, we can still help because we are separate from the other teams at Legal Aid NSW. Our friendly staff can advise you about the limits of our service when you contact us.

Please note that the level of our service will depend on Legal Aid NSW policies, including your personal and financial circumstances, the kind of case you have or want to run, and Legal Aid NSW resources.

We can help with:

  • problems seeing your children
  • arrangements to look after the children
  • property problems after separation
  • problems with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) (once called FACS or DOCS)

Urgent matters we can help you with include:

  • children in immediate danger
  • children at risk of being taken overseas
  • children at risk of being forced into marriage
  • if the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) get involved with your family.

Advice and Minor Assistance

We can help you by:

  • providing free, confidential and independent legal advice and information
  • finding a lawyer to represent you in an ongoing case in court or in a mediation (if you are eligible for ongoing legal assistance)
  • helping you to apply for a grant of legal aid
  • connecting you to other specialist legal and support services, including contacting agencies and services on your behalf in some circumstances

Help at court

We are the duty lawyers at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) Registry locations and online, to help at court if you don't have a lawyer. In some cases, we can assist you to prepare or appear in urgent court applications in emergency circumstances.

Our lawyers are available face to face at court and outreach locations, and can also provide advice and assistance over the telephone. For more information or to book an appointment, please call us on 1800 551 589.