Do you fear getting another demand notice in the mail or online for an unpaid bill? Are you a disqualified driver who can’t get to work to make money to pay the fines that led to the disqualification in the first place?
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Legal Aid NSW is coming to Tenterfield on Thursday, April 26 offering help to get people out of the situations they find themselves in, and it’s free.
Heidi Campbell is one of the lawyers who will be there on the day and said she can appreciate the dread of receiving a notice for an overdue payment and the temptation to just stick it in the bottom drawer and hope it will go away.
She said taking a small step now can make a big difference down the track as noncompliance fees stack up, and she’ll even open the envelope for you.
She and her colleagues are urging people to just scoop up their paperwork and bring it along to get help to deal with the situation. In some instances that means referral to another agency or Legal Aid taking the matter on as a case. In straightforward matters, however, it can mean just a letter or phone call to Revenue NSW or another body on your behalf to sort it out on the spot.
Legal Aid is calling the event a ‘fines fare’ but any sort of debt or even family crisis can be dealt with, even a bad credit history which is causing problems securing a loan, for instance.
Ms Campbell said when you’re being chased by a debt collector it’s sometimes hard to take a step back and review the situation, but the Legal Aid representatives can help with that. While they won’t pay the debt for you it may be possible to get a debt waived or to set up a repayment plan, with even a small regular repayment putting a stop to mounting fees.
There will also be help to access the newly-legislated Disqualified Driver Scheme designed to help people escape the vicious cycle of being unable to settle traffic fines due to not having a licence to access employment.
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In addition to Ms Campbell, a civil lawyer, there will also be a crime lawyer and a family lawyer at the fare, and possibly an aboriginal liaison officer.
“We can also offer advice about a range of other legal worries – whether you’re going through a separation and are working out where the kids will live, or you’ve had a disagreement with the boss over your rights at work and want to know where you stand,” she said.
There’s no need to make an appointment. Just drop in between 10am and 1pm, and don’t forget your paperwork.
The Tenterfield Fine Fare is one of a series of workshops being conducted monthly across the region by Legal Aid, with the Glen Innes fare in March proving popular.
Ms Campbell said the workshop is a timely arrival in Tenterfield as winter approaches, and some people are forced to prioritise debt payments as they struggle to pay heating costs.
“We don’t want people putting off paying other debts to pay power bills,” Ms Campbell said.
