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Legal help for farmers and rural businesses
Legal Aid's Farm and Rural lawyers provide advice and assistance to Queensland rural producers who face financial hardship which relates to their business of primary production. This factsheet highlights the services we provide to help Queensland rural producers.
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 The Farm & Rural Legal Service - Legal help for farmers and rural businesses (PDF - 498Kb)
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Not sure if we can help with your legal problem? Just call us and ask. If we can’t help we’ll refer you to someone who can.
How can the Farm and Rural Legal Service help me?
We offer legal help to primary producers who are experiencing financial hardship related to their business. We can also help you try to resolve debt related issues through negotiation and mediation. For example, we can help you negotiate with your bank, pastoral house, finance company or people you owe money.
We also help rural businesses that are closely linked to primary production, like harvesting contractors, fencing contractors, transport operators and businesses with rural clients.
How much does the service cost?
The service is free for Queensland primary producers and rural businesses.
Where can I go to get help?
You can meet us at your closest Legal Aid office or we can visit you at your farm or business. We can also talk to you over the phone. You can call our Farm and Rural Legal Service directly on 0428 738 099 or, for the cost of a local call phone our call centre on 1300 65 11 88.
What legal services do you provide?
We can:
- give you advice about documents, processes and your options
- negotiate on your behalf to help resolve disputes with your bank, creditors or people you owe money
- write letters on your behalf.
We don’t do any court work or prepare any court forms. We also don’t do conveyancing work.
How can you help me negotiate?
We can negotiate on your behalf by contacting people directly and by attending mediations or meetings. Negotiation and mediation can often help you resolve your problems without having to go to court.
Will you actually go to meet with my bank?
Yes. We can go with you to your bank and help you sort out any disputes you may have with them.
Can you work with other people who are already helping me?
Yes. We can work with other advisers like rural counsellors, your accountant and your own private lawyer. Our aim is to work with everyone involved to achieve the best possible outcome.
Is your help confidential?
Yes. Our services are confidential and we are committed to protecting your privacy. We will not provide your personal information or details about your legal problem to anyone, unless we are legally required to.
What other services do you provide?
We make submissions on legal issues relating to the rural sector and also review any submissions made.
We are constantly listening to primary producers and the agribusiness sector about the major debt related issues affecting them and what they’d like to see changed.
We also help educate the community by going to meetings and talking about issues important to primary producers and rural businesses.
Can you organise an interpreter?
Yes - we can organise for an accredited interpreter to help you. We are committed to making our services accessible to people from non-English-speaking backgrounds and people with disabilities.
If you would like information explained in your language, please phone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 1450 to speak to an interpreter. Ask them to connect you to Legal Aid Queensland. If you have a hearing impairment please call the TTY service on (07) 3238 3023. These are free services.
How do I provide feedback or make a complaint?
Your feedback – complaints, compliments and suggestions – is welcome and we take it seriously.
To make a comment about the service you received from Legal Aid Queensland, you can complete our client feedback form. The form is available from your local Legal Aid office and our website.
You can also give us feedback by:
writing to us at
GPO Box 2449, Brisbane, Qld, 4001
calling 1300 65 11 88
and talking to our staff
emailing
feedback@legalaid.qld.gov.au