The Youth Legal Service offers free legal information, advice and assistance to young people 25 years and younger, across New South Wales.
We can advise on
- Employment law problems (for example, bullying or discrimination at work, underpayment of wages and entitlements, or unfair dismissal)
- Owing and being owed money (including fines and mobile phone debt)
- Criminal charges
- Victims’ support services
- Consumer law issues
- Complaints about police
- Problems at home
Who we assist
- All young people 25 years of age and younger across NSW
- Youth workers (provided there is no conflict of interest)
- Parents calling on behalf of young people (In some circumstances)
Community legal education
We are proud to play an educative role in the community to promote justice and protect human rights. We provide training and education sessions on request for young people and youth workers. If you’d like us to come deliver a session for your group, please email yls@mlc.org.au.
Youth resources
So you think you know your rights at work? Marrickville Legal Centre’s Youth Legal Service NSW has built a quiz to test and inform your knowledge about work rights for Youth Week NSW 2022.
How much do you know about police powers in New South Wales? For Youth Week 2021, Marrickville Legal Centre’s Youth Legal Service NSW made a quiz with all the legal info you need to know about your rights when interacting with police.
Youth Law Australia – A national community legal service dedicated to helping children and young people with a wealth of online legal resources.
Legal Aid Youth Hotline – People under 18 who need advice about a criminal law problem can call the Youth Hotline on 1800 10 18 10. This service is open until midnight during the week and runs 24 hours on weekends.
Shopfront Youth Legal Centre – Shopfront provides free legal education, advice and representation for homeless and disadvantaged young people aged 25 and under.
Youth Justice Coalition – Under the auspices of MLC, the Youth Justice Coalition (YJC) is a network of policy workers, youth workers, academics and lawyers advocating for the rights of children and young people in NSW. The YJC meets bimonthly to discuss current developments and law reform campaigns.
The Youth Legal Service NSW is funded by the Community Legal Centres Program administered by Legal Aid NSW.
Get advice
Advice is generally given over the phone through an advice call-back service. To arrange a phone call, submit an online enquiry or give us a call on 9559 2899.