^{14 September 2026}

Legal Services expands support for clients through in-house Financial Counselling Service 

Following a successful 12-month pilot, Legal Services has established an ongoing Financial Counselling Service to provide free, confidential support for eligible clients experiencing or at risk of family, domestic or sexual violence. 

The service provides support from an accredited financial counsellor, including information, advice, advocacy and referrals, helping clients address financial issues that are closely connected to their legal problems.  

Integrated within Legal Services' existing legal support, the Financial Counselling Service enables clients to access support for both their legal and financial issues through a single service. 

The service was established in response to growing client need, with a recent internal review confirming strong demand.

Legal Services Director of Legal Information and Advice Beth Midgley said the service responds to the increasingly complex challenges facing communities. 

"For many people, a legal problem is not an isolated issue," Ms Midgley said. 

"A victim-survivor of family, domestic or sexual violence is often navigating a range of challenges at the same time, including financial hardship, housing insecurity and other legal issues."

"The pilot showed us that legal and financial issues are often closely connected.

"For people rebuilding their lives after family, domestic or sexual violence, overcoming financial barriers can be a life-changing step towards safety and independence." 

The pilot has achieved practical outcomes for clients, including debt waivers, compensation payments and hardship arrangements.  

One example of the pilot's impact involved a victim-survivor of domestic violence who was preparing to move into a safe property with her children. She was unable to meet the electricity provider's credit requirements to have power connected to the property. The financial counsellor negotiated with the provider to secure the connection, as well as a full waiver of the client's outstanding debts and ensured there was no adverse credit reporting. 

The Financial Counselling Service is available by referral to existing Legal Services clients. 

Anyone in South Australia affected by family, domestic or sexual violence can access free legal advice and support by calling our Legal Helpline on 1300 366 424 or by visiting our Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence page for more information.