Community Law Waikato provide free legal help in the Waikato region
Whaanau often experience legal problems but do not know where to go for help. Community Law Waikato provide free legal help to whaanau living in the Waikato region.
Community Law Waikato education series at Melville High School
Essentially providing free legal help to whaanau with significant disadvantage, results in improved wellbeing for people, enhancing their lives and the lives of their whaanau. This wellbeing then extends to community wellbeing. It includes social, physical, and economic elements.
Billie Dell is the Community liaison for Community Law Waikato. She says that their focus is on helping whaanau who need it the most, and their belief is that access to legal service should be available to all as a basic civil and human right.
“Our core services are aimed at benefiting all whaanau and increasing accessibility of our services particularly for people who are unemployed, tangata whenua, rangatahi, migrants, kaumaatua, rurally isolated people, people of all ethnicities and people with disabilities,” says Billie.
Community Law Waikato have a team of nine lawyers, two advocates, a community liaison and reception team. They are also supported by an army of volunteers, law students from University of Waikato and lawyers who are community focused.
“As well as providing free legal services a big part of our kaupapa is to build and strengthen relationships with iwi, hapuu and community organisations in the Waikato”. says Billie.
Community Law Waikato can help with a range of legal problems, for example, employment, benefit entitlements and disputes, ACC, Immigration, Tenancy, Consumer queries and disputes, debt queries and disputes, minor criminal and traffic charges.
They also provide legal education on range of topics. Community Law Waikato are currently running a webinar series over the year, as well as a Family Law series.
“We can come to your organisation and talk to your team about how we can help whaanau in the Waikato. We can also come to your local kura and talk to rangatahi about their legal rights” says Billie.
The Community Law Waikato service covers the fourth largest region in New Zealand, with some of the most deprived areas and a high proportion of the region’s population living in these areas. Their service area includes Thames, Coromandel, Te Aroha, Paeroa, Te Kuiti, Otorohanga, Tokoroa, Putaruru, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Matamata, Huntly, Ngaruawaahia and all the towns in between.
The Community Law Waikato hub is open Monday to Thursday 9am til 4pm and Friday 9am to 1pm. The phone service is available Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm.
To contact Community Law Waikato call 0800 529 482; email reception@clwaikato.org.nz; Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CommunityLawWaikato or visit the website www.clwaikato.org.nz