Disaster Legal Support provides free legal help to South Australians impacted or at risk of natural disasters.
WHAT WE DO
Free Legal Help & Education for South Australians Impacted by Disasters.
We aim to support South Australian individuals, small business and primary producers at all stages of the Disaster Management Cycle. To help communities build resilience and Prepare for disasters, we provide free Community Legal Education and advice on legal issues like insurance, wills, estate planning, Advance Care Directives and more.
In the event of a disaster, our solicitors and support staff are deployed as “boots on the ground,” to assist with Response and Recovery, providing free legal assistance and warm referrals to other allied and essential support services via local outreach, remote appointments and Recovery Centres. In the Recovery stage, we can continue to offer legal advice, and tailored community legal education, particularly around insurance claims and disputes.
Connecting with Local Knowledge
Our solicitors and support staff regularly travel within SA to attend local events, listen and contribute at disaster planning and recovery meetings and build relationships with the State’s disaster management stakeholders.
Our aim is to keep up to date with the unique needs and concerns of locals, learn from emergency services and other emergency management experts and make genuine and lasting connections to disaster-impacted communities across South Australia.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Upcoming Events
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GET IN TOUCH
Contact DLSP
DLSP Coordinator & Solicitor
Office: 1300 850 650
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CURRENT RECOVERY EFFORTS
Help for Communities Impacted by the River Murray floods.
Disaster Legal Support Program is providing Free Legal Help and Community Legal Education for South Australians affected by the 2022/2023 River Murray floods.
Free legal appointments are available in the Riverland, Murray Bridge and Southern Adelaide by contacting one of our offices (below). Our solicitors can assist with a range of legal issues including insurance, tenancies, employment, civil disputes, debt and hardship, family law, Centrelink disputes and criminal matters.
Free Legal Advice
Community members impacted by the floods can contact us to book a free legal advice appointment by calling Community Justice intake on 1300 850 650. Legal advice appointments are available to individuals, small business and primary producers, regardless of your income or assets.
Free Community Legal Education Sessions
Disaster Legal Support Program and Community Justice presents free community legal education sessions, including on Insurance. Click here to view upcoming events or sign up to the mailing list for updates.
For more information or to organise a free community legal education session for your community, contact [email protected] or 1300 850 650.
RESOURCES
Who to Contact for Help.
State Relief and Recovery Information Line
Open Mon-Fri, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Message bank service open Saturday and Sunday with return calls made on weekdays
Phone 1800 302 787
Recovery SA Website
Web www.recovery.sa.gov.au/active-recoveries/river-murray-flood
Disaster Legal Support Program
Book a free legal advice appointment, or find out more about hosting community legal education.
Phone: 1300 850 650
[email protected]
Riverland Community Justice Centre
Phone (08) 8582 4998
9 Kay Avenue, Berri 5343
[email protected]
Berri Recovery Centre
Mon – Fri, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Housing SA: 29 Vaughan Terrace, Berri
Mannum Recovery Centre
Tues, Wed and Thur, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Mannum Institute, 47 Randell Street, Mannum
Murray Bridge Recovery Centre
Mon to Fri, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (Closed Sat-Sun)
28 Bridge Street, Murray Bridge
RESOURCES
Useful Websites & Factsheets
Recovery SA: River Murray Flood
The State Government’s Recovery information website.
Subscribe to the River Murray Flood Community Newsletter and view previous editions.
5 Key Insurance Tips for Floods
How to be best prepared for a flood, or to navigate an insurance claim after the event.
Key Insurance Tips for Disasters
How to be best prepared for a disaster, or to navigate an insurance claim
How to replace your important documents in the event of a disaster
The AFCA Complaint resolution process
How the Australian Financial Complaints Authority can assist you in resolving a dispute with your insurance company.
WHAT WE DO
Our Experience, From Fires to Floods.
DLSP represents the expansion of the Bushfire Community Legal Program, an award-winning service that assisted communities in Kangaroo Island, Yorketown, and Adelaide Hills communities in the wake of the devastating Black Summer bushfires.
Help for South Australian communities impacted by the River Murray Floods
Since the start of the River Murray floods in 2022, DLSP has been actively involved to assist individuals, small business and primary producers impacted by the floods with their legal (and sometimes non-legal) issues and concerns. When the floodwaters rose and the disaster began, a dedicated solicitor (and Riverland local) attended the Berri Relief Centre on a daily basis, assisting locals with a popup legal outreach service.
As the recovery efforts continue, DLSP solicitors are available now to provide free legal advice and Community Legal Education (on request) on a wide range of law; including insurance, financial and civil disputes, family law, wills and estates and criminal law.
Contact DLSP at [email protected] for more information about Community Legal Education.
DISASTER LEGAL SUPPORT PROGRAM
Community Legal Education
Community groups and Councils can request free Community Legal Education (‘CLE’) sessions for locals in high-risk and disaster impacted areas.
All we need is a suitable space (like a meeting room, hall or club room) that can accommodate a minimum of 15 attendees, and a captive audience. These sessions can also be done as a collaboration with local Emergency Services personnel, Fire Prevention Officers or Council Resilience Programs on request.
Our CLE sessions are interactive, engaging and include a Q & A with a solicitor. We are currently offering the following CLE (other legal topics may be presented on request):
Insurance law basics
Understanding your policy
Lodging and negotiating insurance claims
Complaints and disputes
Understand your policy
Flood insurance and claims
Lodging and negotiating claims
Complaints and disputes
Wills, Estates and Advance Care Directives
Enduring power of attorney
Advance Care Directives
Wills & Estates
Contact DLSP on 1300 850 650 or send an email to [email protected] to find out more, or to organise a CLE session for your community.
Factsheets & Promotional Material
Please feel free to download / print and distribute these PDF resources:
5 Key Insurance Tips for Floods factsheet
5 Key Insurance Tips for Disasters factsheet
Replacing Important Documents factsheet
CONNECTIONS
Emergency Services, NGO & Government Collaborations
DLSP has built lasting connections and collaborated with key Emergency Services, Local, State and Federal Government, and NGOs throughout South Australia, including CFS, SASES, Red Cross, Housing SA, SAFECOM & NEMA.
We are always on the look out for collaboration opportunities.
We can present Community Legal Education (CLE) alongside Emergency Services and engagement officers at disaster-readiness sessions, speak at wellness and resilience workshops or provide practical information and resources for emergency preparedness kits, or to be distributed to community members.
We also engage directly with Councils, and can run standalone CLE sessions or integrate DLSP presentations and resources into existing Council-led programs or events.
Sector education and information for Emergency Services Officers, Local Government and allied community service providers can also be organised on request.
For more information or to discuss how we could work together, reach out to DLSP on 1300 850 650 or send an email to [email protected].
CONTACT
Contact Disaster Legal Support
For Community Legal Education
Community groups, Community Champions and Councils can request free Community Legal Education (‘CLE’) sessions for local residents. Contact [email protected] to find out more.
All we need is a suitable space (like a meeting room, hall or club room) that can accommodate a minimum of 15 attendees, and a captive audience.
These sessions can be done as a collaboration with local Emergency Services personnel, Fire Prevention Officers or Council Resilience Programs on request.
We are currently offering the following CLE (other legal topics may be presented on request):
For Free Legal Help
South Australians impacted by a disaster can request a free legal advice appointment by contacting Community Justice intake on:
State-wide (toll-free)
1300 850 650
Southern Region (local)
(08) 8384 5222
Riverland (local)
(08) 8582 4998
Jacqui Nuske
DLSP Coordinator & Solicitor
Office: 1300 850 650
Riverland Community Justice Centre
Berri: (08) 8582 4998
Connect with Disaster Legal Support Program