Central Australian Women's Legal Services Inc

Central Australian Women's Legal Services Inc (CAWLS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free and confidential legal assistance to women in Central Australia and the Barkly Region. The organization focuses particularly on supporting women escaping domestic and family violence, offering a culturally safe and trauma-informed legal service.

Services

CAWLS offers a wide range of legal support and related assistance, including:

• Legal advice, advocacy, referral, and representation for women facing legal issues
• Community legal education to increase awareness of women's legal rights
• Support for legal matters such as:
  • Domestic and family violence
  • Family law, including issues related to children, property, maintenance, and child support
  • Crime victims assistance applications
  • Motor vehicle accident claims and workplace claims
  • Child protection
  • Sexual assault
  • Discrimination
  • Employment law
  • Housing and tenancy matters
  • Credit and debt concerns

Approach and Accessibility

CAWLS operates with a commitment to holistic and culturally appropriate service delivery. Its approach is trauma-informed, focusing on the safety and wellbeing of its clients, which include women, non-binary people, trans women, and sistergirls of all ages.

The service is available during regular business hours with no appointment necessary for urgent domestic and family violence issues. Appointments for other legal advice can be made through their office, with clinics typically held on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition to its base in Alice Springs, CAWLS provides outreach services to remote communities including Tennant Creek, Alice Springs Town Camps, Ti Tree, Santa Teresa, and Ali Curung. They also work through various health services to assist with domestic and family violence matters.

Advocacy and Law Reform

Beyond direct legal assistance, CAWLS is engaged in law reform advocacy to improve legal frameworks and systems affecting women in Central Australia. The organization also coordinates community legal education programs to empower women and promote legal literacy.

Recognition

Registered as a charitable organization, CAWLS operates with Australian Business Number (ABN) 17565159641RR0001. It is recognized for its essential role in addressing legal needs and supporting vulnerable women in remote and regional communities of Central Australia and the Barkly Region.

This comprehensive service plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of violence and discrimination by providing accessible, expert legal support tailored to the needs of women and marginalized gender groups in Central Australia.

[1][2][3][4][5]

[1] https://www.alicesprings.familylaw.org.au/service-directory/central-australian-womens-legal-service/ [2] https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/edde8708-39af-e811-a961-000d3ad24182/profile [3] https://nt.gov.au/law/processes/get-legal-advice/womens-legal-services [4] https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/edde8708-39af-e811-a961-000d3ad24182/documents/fe6c8b03-2fa6-ef11-b8e8-6045bdc3eb63 [5] https://www.ntcommunity.org.au/service/central-australian-womens-legal-service/