Key points
- You can ask for a lawyer in Brisbane today. Call 1800 577 015 at any hour: the free line gives general legal information straight away, and a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Queensland is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person. Urgent requests are taken at any hour; how soon the lawyer can see you depends on who is free, so a particular time cannot be promised.
- What lawyers cost in Brisbane: firms that publish their prices charge between $99 plus GST and $660 for a first consultation of an hour or so, and some offer a free first phone call of 15 to 20 minutes (read on the firms' own websites, 22 October 2026). Our consultation is $295 for 60 minutes, and the lawyer tells you what any further work would cost before you commit.
- Free legal help in Brisbane runs in business hours, and full legal aid depends on a means test: Legal Aid Queensland's Legal Information Line on 1300 65 11 88, 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday; a free duty lawyer at most Magistrates Courts on the day your case is listed (not for traffic offences, or a first or second drink or drug driving charge on its own unless jail is likely); and the community legal services listed below.
- Due in court? Every Brisbane court, with its address, phone number and registry hours, is listed below, checked on 22 October 2026.
- In danger now: call 000. Domestic or family violence: DVConnect Womensline on 1800 811 811 (24 hours), DVConnect Mensline on 1800 600 636 (9am to midnight, 7 days) and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 (24 hours), all free.
Go To Court Lawyers arranges 60-minute consultations with Queensland lawyers for a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person, with requests taken at any hour on 1800 577 015, and its free legal information line answers 24 hours a day.
Brisbane Practice Areas
Our Brisbane lawyers cover all major areas of law. Select your area for local information, court details and immediate help.
Lawyers in Brisbane
Go To Court Lawyers is a national legal service, running since 2010, that connects people with lawyers who practise in their state. In Brisbane and across Queensland that means lawyers who practise in Queensland and appear in the courts listed below. Call 1800 577 015 at any hour and Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information about your situation and takes your details. Jen is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice about your case. If you want advice, request a consultation on the call or at the booking page: your request goes to lawyers in our network who practise in your area of law and location, the first to accept it contacts you to set a time, and our team steps in if nobody does. The consultation is 60 minutes for a fixed $295, by phone, by video, or in person where the lawyer you are matched with offers it. In the twelve months to October 2026, Queenslanders came to us most often about criminal charges (370 matters), family law (339), civil disputes (198), traffic offences (150), domestic violence (120), drink driving (117), property (70), wills and estates (68), compensation (62) and employment (60).Local Courts in Brisbane
Checked against the Queensland Courts and Federal Circuit and Family Court websites on 22 October 2026. Where your matter is heard depends on the charge or the amount in dispute.
| Court | What it hears | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Magistrates Court | Most criminal charges and traffic offences, domestic violence orders, and civil claims up to $150,000 (disputes up to $25,000 generally go to QCAT) | 363 George Street, Brisbane | 1800 325 085 | Registry 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Roma Street Arrest Courts | The Magistrates Court's arrest courts, for people brought to court after being arrested | 240 Roma Street, Brisbane | 1800 325 085 | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| District Court of Queensland, Brisbane | Serious criminal charges tried before a jury, civil claims from $150,001 to $750,000, and most appeals from the Magistrates Court | QEII Courts of Law Complex, 415 George Street, Brisbane | 1800 497 117 | Counter 8:30am to 4:30pm; phones 8:30am to 5pm; both open at 9:30am on Wednesdays |
| Supreme Court of Queensland, Brisbane | The most serious criminal cases, such as murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and major drug offences; civil claims over $750,000; and, in the Court of Appeal, appeals from the District and Supreme Courts | QEII Courts of Law Complex, 415 George Street, Brisbane | 1800 497 117 | Counter 8:30am to 4:30pm; phones 8:30am to 5pm; both open at 9:30am on Wednesdays |
| Brisbane Childrens Court | Offences alleged against young people under 18, and child protection applications. Serious youth cases go to the Childrens Court of Queensland, before a District Court judge, at 415 George Street | 363 George Street, Brisbane | 1800 325 085 | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Brisbane | Family law in Queensland: divorce, separation, children and property. Also federal matters such as bankruptcy and migration | Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 119 North Quay, Brisbane | 1300 352 000 | Family law counter 8:45am to 4:30pm; federal law counter 9am to 4pm; phones 8:30am to 5pm |
| Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) | Debt disputes up to $25,000, tenancy disputes, building disputes, guardianship for adults, and reviews of government decisions | Level 8, 259 Queen Street, Brisbane | 1300 753 228 | Counter 8:30am to 4:30pm, weekdays |
| Suburban and nearby Magistrates Courts | The same matters as Brisbane Magistrates Court, for people charged or living nearby | Holland Park, 8 Marshall Road; Wynnum, 76 Pine Street; Sandgate, 84 Keogh Street; Richlands, corner of Old Progress and Archerfield Roads; Cleveland, 5 Middle Street; Pine Rivers, 374 Gympie Road, Strathpine; Redcliffe, 193 Redcliffe Parade; Ipswich, 43 Ellenborough Street; Beenleigh, corner of Kent and James Streets | Holland Park (07) 3917 3700; Wynnum (07) 3097 2800; Sandgate (07) 3631 5900; Richlands (07) 3565 4000; Cleveland (07) 3884 3900; Pine Rivers (07) 3094 4700; Redcliffe (07) 3384 6300; Ipswich (07) 3470 7300; Beenleigh (07) 3081 2100 | Registries 8:30am to 4:30pm on weekdays, closing at 4pm one day a week: Tuesday at Cleveland and Beenleigh; Wednesday at Wynnum, Sandgate, Richlands and Pine Rivers; Thursday at Holland Park, Redcliffe and Ipswich |
A Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyer is free and is available at most Magistrates Courts in Queensland on the day your case is listed: ask the court staff when you arrive or, if you are held in the watch-house, ask to see the duty lawyer before you go into court. A duty lawyer can help you plead guilty, put your case off to another day, or apply for bail. They cannot help with traffic offences, a first or second drink or drug driving charge on its own (unless you are likely to go to jail), a committal hearing, a trial or a complex sentence hearing. A domestic violence duty lawyer is at Brisbane Magistrates Court Monday to Thursday, with no booking needed. If you want a lawyer of your own before the day, request a $295 consultation or call 1800 577 015.
Appearing at Brisbane Magistrates Court? Our partner service AllCourts has a practical guide to Brisbane Magistrates Court — address, daily court lists, and what to expect on the day.
Free and low-cost legal help in Brisbane: who answers, and when
Numbers, hours and addresses checked against each service's own website on 22 October 2026. Most of these services help people who meet a means test or fall into a particular group, and they run in business hours. For general legal information at any hour, our free line is 1800 577 015.
| Service | Who it helps | Contact | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid Queensland, Legal Information Line | Anyone in Queensland: legal information and referral. Legal aid itself depends on a means test; people who rely on full Centrelink payments pass the income test | 1300 65 11 88. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Information Line 1300 65 01 43. Under 18: Youth Legal Advice Hotline 1800 527 527. Head office: 44 Herschel Street, Brisbane | 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (youth hotline 8am to 9pm Monday to Thursday, and from 8am Friday to 5pm Sunday) |
| Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyers | People whose criminal, domestic violence, child protection or family law case is listed in court that day | Ask the court staff on the day; no booking needed | Court sitting days |
| Community legal centres | Free help from 32 community legal services across Queensland, each with its own areas of law and eligibility | Find your nearest through Community Legal Centres Queensland, (07) 3392 0092 | Varies by centre |
| Caxton Legal Centre | Free legal information and appointments for people who are disadvantaged or on a low income | 1800 229 866; Level 23, 179 Turbot Street, Brisbane | 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Women's Legal Service Queensland | Women in Queensland: domestic and family violence, separation and divorce, parenting and child safety | 1800 957 957; rural, regional and remote callers 1800 457 117 | 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: criminal, civil and family law | 1800 012 255, free; after hours this number takes custody notifications only. Level 5, 183 North Quay, Brisbane | Business hours; custody notifications after hours |
| Youth Advocacy Centre | Young people aged 10 to 17 (or 18 if the matter happened at 17): youth justice, domestic violence and child protection | (07) 3356 1002; Level 4, 16 Peel Street, South Brisbane | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| LawRight | People representing themselves in civil cases, and people facing homelessness. It does not help with criminal or family matters | (07) 3846 6317; apply through its website | Not published; applications online |
| Queensland Law Society, Find a Solicitor | Anyone looking for a private solicitor by location, name or area of law. It gives referrals only, not advice | Online directory | Online |
| Domestic and family violence lines | Anyone experiencing domestic or family violence; Mensline also supports men who want to change their behaviour | DVConnect Womensline 1800 811 811; DVConnect Mensline 1800 600 636; 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732 | Womensline and 1800RESPECT 24 hours, every day; Mensline 9am to midnight, 7 days |
If you are not eligible for free help, or you need an answer tonight, call 1800 577 015 for free legal information at any hour, or request a $295 consultation with a lawyer.
What a lawyer costs in Brisbane
Brisbane firms charge by the hour or by fixed fee. Of the firms that publish their prices, read on their own websites on 22 October 2026: one criminal firm charges $660 including GST for a one-hour first consultation and offers a free 15-minute phone call; one family firm charges $250 plus GST for up to 60 minutes; another charges $350 for an hour and lists its accredited specialist at $465 an hour plus GST; another charges $550 or $660 including GST for a fixed-price consultation of about an hour and a half; and one general firm charges $99 plus GST an hour for a consultation after a free 20-minute call. A Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyer at a Magistrates Court is free on the day. Our 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Queensland is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person. If you decide to go further, the lawyer sets out the cost of any further work before you commit.
Why Go To Court Lawyers for Brisbane?
Go To Court Lawyers does not have a Brisbane office. Consultations are by phone or video, or in person where the lawyer you are matched with offers it, and the lawyers in our network who practise in Queensland appear in Brisbane's courts in person. For many people that is quicker than finding a firm, because you can make the request at any hour, including weekends, and you know the price before you start: $295 for 60 minutes. The service has run since 2010 and our reviews are published on ProductReview and Trustpilot.Common Legal Situations in Brisbane
Based on our own records for the twelve months to October 2026, the matters Queenslanders most often come to us about are criminal charges, family law (separation, children and property), civil disputes such as debts and contracts, traffic offences, domestic violence orders, drink driving, property, wills and estates, compensation, and employment. Each practice area above has its own Brisbane page.Fast Lawyer Matching in Brisbane
When you request a consultation, lawyers in our network who practise in your area of law and location are notified, and the first to accept your request contacts you to arrange the time. If nobody accepts it, our team follows up personally. Requests are taken at any hour; appointment times depend on which lawyers are available, and urgent matters are given priority.Frequently Asked Questions — Brisbane Lawyers
How quickly can I speak to a lawyer in Brisbane?
Call 1800 577 015 at any hour and Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information straight away. If you want advice about your own situation, request a $295 consultation on the call or at the booking page. Your request goes to lawyers in our network who practise in your area of law, and the first to accept it contacts you to set a time, by phone, video or in person. Urgent requests are taken at any hour; how soon depends on which lawyers are free, so a particular time cannot be promised.
How much does a lawyer cost in Brisbane?
Brisbane firms that publish their prices charge between $99 plus GST and $660 for a first consultation of an hour or so, and some offer a free first phone call of 15 to 20 minutes (read on the firms' own websites, 22 October 2026). Hourly rates for ongoing work vary; one family law firm lists its accredited specialist at $465 an hour plus GST. A Legal Aid Queensland duty lawyer at the Magistrates Court is free on the day. Our 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Queensland is a fixed $295, and the lawyer tells you the cost of any further work before you commit.
Can I get free legal help in Brisbane?
Yes, in business hours, and full legal aid depends on a means test. Legal Aid Queensland's Legal Information Line (1300 65 11 88, 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday) gives information and referrals, and people who rely on full Centrelink payments pass its income test. Free duty lawyers help at most Magistrates Courts on the day your case is listed. Caxton Legal Centre helps people on a low income, Women's Legal Service Queensland helps women, the Youth Advocacy Centre helps people under 18, and LawRight helps people representing themselves in civil cases. The table on this page lists each one with its number and hours.
Which Brisbane court will my matter be in?
Most criminal charges, traffic matters, domestic violence orders and civil claims up to $150,000 start in Brisbane Magistrates Court at 363 George Street, or at the suburban court nearest you. Disputes up to $25,000 are generally heard by QCAT at 259 Queen Street. Serious criminal trials and civil claims from $150,001 to $750,000 go to the District Court at 415 George Street, and the most serious crimes and larger claims to the Supreme Court in the same building. Offences by people under 18 are heard in the Childrens Court. Family law is heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court at 119 North Quay. The table on this page gives each court's phone number and hours.
Can the duty lawyer help with my drink driving charge in Brisbane?
Usually not. Legal Aid Queensland's duty lawyers do not help with traffic offences, or with a first or second drink or drug driving charge on its own unless you are likely to go to jail. For those charges you need your own lawyer, or you represent yourself. Our 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Queensland is a fixed $295, and you can request it at any hour on 1800 577 015.
Do your lawyers appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court?
Yes. The lawyers in our network who practise in Queensland appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court and the other Queensland courts in person. Consultations are by phone or video, or in person where the lawyer offers it.
Do you handle matters in other Queensland courts?
Yes. Requests from anywhere in Queensland go to lawyers in our network who practise in that area, and the service has its own pages for places including the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay.
Need a Lawyer in Brisbane?
Call our information service any time. Jen is an AI assistant, not a lawyer. If you need advice about your circumstances, request a $295 consultation with a suitable qualified lawyer; availability depends on your matter, location and requested time.