Right in the middle of Toongabbie Shopping Centre, at 27 Aurelia Street, in a hall right next to St. Anthony’s Church, the legal eagles land every Saturday morning from 10.30am to 12.30pm.
Right there is where you’ll find the Toongabbie Legal Centre Inc. (TLC), a community based legal centre that provides free legal advice, referral service and information to those who cannot afford the soaring lawyers’ fees.
At the centre, the best legal minds converge and help the normal everyday person untangle the knots of the legal system in plain English or in their native tongue. Here they are understood — and they understand. Where the legal system is usually approached with much trepidation, this group helps to calm the nerves down by explaining what is really happening. They help humanize the law.
TLC started its operations in 2007 minus the fanfare and only in July 2011 was it officially launched when it had a proven track record. Its outreach legal services now also operate from 51-59 Allawah Street, Blacktown on Thursday evenings from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
In its four years of existence, the Centre has served over 1000 clients. It is manned by a team of 60 multilingual volunteers to include solicitors, migration agents, law workers, social workers, financial planners and law students. For the law students, it is an excellent opportunity to learn and to springboard their careers.
The group also provides legal information, conducts legal education seminars and acts as an advocacy group for legal reforms.
No appointment is necessary. Just as their acronym suggests – TLC will treat you with tender loving care. Drop in at one of their centres at the designated times for legal advice or visit www.tlc.asn.au for more information. You may contact them on 1300 373 353 or email on coordinator@tlc.asn.au