Client stories

Lawyers collaborate to get Cairns man back to work Read More »

James*, a 64-year-old man living in a rural area west of Cairns, lost his job and his employer-provided housing after he sustained a workplace injury. The Cairns Community Legal Centre assisted James to file for reinstatement with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission and then connected […]

QAI helps John* get back his independence Read More »

John was diagnosed with a cognitive impairment and a persistent depressive disorder. Due to an application by John’s mental health team, his finances were now being managed by the Public Trustee of Queensland. John had a long history in business management and found the appointment

LawRight helps Clare receive a better response to mental illness Read More »

Clare* is 39 years old and has a part-time job. She lives with her parents and hopes to attend university one day. Clare has significant and long-term mental illness which she is active in managing. When her illness worsened, Clare followed her GP’s encouragement to

Cairns Community Legal Centre helps Robert fight his unfair dismissal Read More »

After experiencing a non-work related injury, Robert* was unable to continue work and was dismissed from his position. As a result Robert lodged a claim with the Australian Human Rights Commission and started negotiating with his employer. Cairns Community Legal Centre helped Robert understand his

LawRight assists Penelope to waive debt Read More »

Penelope* was a young woman experiencing mental illness and a severe brain injury as a result of chronic alcoholism and an attempted suicide. When Penelope met with the volunteer lawyers, she had been sleeping rough and was struggling to manage debts totalling almost $20,000. LawRight

Hub Community Legal was able to assist Ryan when he was charged with a crime he didn’t commit Read More »

Ryan* had been charged with two offences based on his own false statements to investigating officers, both at his residence and when participating in recorded conversations at the police station. However, when dropped back at home that night by police, Ryan indicated his earlier admissions

Angela’s child is brought back home Read More »

Angela’s* child was in the custody of child protection authorities. The child was dearly loved by the family, who were struggling to have their voices heard and their child returned to their home. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Legal Service NQ provided ongoing

Cairns Community Legal Centre helps client clear debt Read More »

The client came to the Cairns Community Legal Centre after unexpectedly receiving a letter from a debt collection agency requesting the immediate payment of over $900. The letter indicated that the debt was from a telecommunications company. Until this letter arrived the client had received