Key points
- You can ask for a lawyer in Adelaide 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 South Australia 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 Adelaide: firms that publish their prices range from a free first appointment (at some criminal firms) to $550 including GST for a 90-minute family law consultation, with hourly rates from $500 plus GST to $594 including GST (read on the firms' own websites, 23 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 Adelaide: the Legal Services Commission's Legal Helpline on 1300 366 424, 9am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday; a free Legal Services Commission duty lawyer at the Adelaide Magistrates Court and Youth Court (not every day, and not for every matter); and the court's Legal Advice Clinic, 9:30am to noon on weekdays.
- Due in court? The Adelaide Magistrates Court is at 260 to 280 Victoria Square (not Grenfell Street). The District Court is in the Sir Samuel Way Building, 241 to 259 Victoria Square, and the Youth Court is at 75 Wright Street. Every court is listed below, checked on 23 October 2026.
- In danger now: call 000. Domestic or family violence: the Domestic Violence Crisis Line on 1800 800 098 and 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, both free and 24 hours.
In Adelaide, criminal cases start in the Magistrates Court, which in the city sits at 260 to 280 Victoria Square and also hears civil claims up to $100,000; Go To Court Lawyers arranges 60-minute consultations with South Australian lawyers for a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person, with requests taken at any hour on 1800 577 015.
Adelaide Practice Areas
Our Adelaide lawyers cover all major areas of law. Select your area for local information, court details and immediate help.
Lawyers in Adelaide
Go To Court Lawyers is a national legal service, running since 2010, that connects people with lawyers who practise in their state. In Adelaide and across South Australia that means lawyers who practise in South Australia 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 22 October 2026, people in South Australia came to us most often about criminal charges (103 matters), family law (95), civil disputes (74), traffic offences (47), domestic violence (34), property (31), wills and estates (24), and compensation, drink driving and employment (20 each).Local Courts in Adelaide
Checked against each court's own website on 23 October 2026. Where your matter is heard depends on the charge or the amount in dispute; the court named on your paperwork is the one to attend. Court lists are on the Courts Administration Authority's website, courts.sa.gov.au.
| Court | What it hears | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Magistrates Court | All criminal cases start in the Magistrates Court (here or at a suburban court): summary and minor indictable offences, committal proceedings and some guilty pleas to major indictable offences. Civil claims up to $100,000, including minor claims of $12,000 or less, where lawyers are generally not allowed. Also the Drug Court, Treatment Intervention Court, Domestic Violence Court and Aboriginal community courts | 260 to 280 Victoria Square, Adelaide | (08) 8204 2444; civil (08) 8204 0670; criminal (08) 8204 0481 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Youth Court of South Australia | Young people aged 10 to 17 accused of crimes, including major indictable offences, and care and protection, adoption and surrogacy cases; hearings are closed to the public. It also sits at Elizabeth, Christies Beach and Port Adelaide | 75 Wright Street, Adelaide | (08) 8204 0331 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| District Court of South Australia | The principal trial court: any offence except treason and murder. Civil claims of any amount, with the same civil jurisdiction as the Supreme Court (claims over $100,000 go to the District or Supreme Court) | Lower ground floor, Sir Samuel Way Building, 241 to 259 Victoria Square, Adelaide | (08) 8204 2444; civil (08) 8204 0544; criminal (08) 8124 4642 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Supreme Court of South Australia | Murder and treason (only the Supreme Court hears these), major civil cases, and appeals from the Magistrates Court (to a single judge, or for some sentences to the Court of Appeal) | Corner of Gouger and King William Streets (Registrar's office, 1 Gouger Street); registries and most criminal cases in the Sir Samuel Way Building, 241 to 259 Victoria Square | (08) 8204 2444 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, Adelaide | Family law: divorce, separation, children and property. Also general federal law, such as bankruptcy and migration | Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 3 Angas Street, Adelaide | 1300 352 000 (the same number takes urgent after-hours applications, such as a risk of a child being taken overseas) | Family law counter 8:45am to 4:30pm; phones 8:30am to 5pm |
| South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (SACAT) | A tribunal for housing and rental disputes, guardianship, mental health, reviews of government decisions, equal opportunity and more | 100 Pirie Street, Adelaide | 1800 723 767 | Registry 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Suburban Magistrates Courts | The same Magistrates Court work for people charged or living nearby. Elizabeth runs a Domestic Violence Court (Thursdays) and a Veterans Court pilot; Port Adelaide runs the Nunga Court (an Aboriginal sentencing court) and a Family Violence Court | Elizabeth, 15 Frobisher Road; Port Adelaide, 260 St Vincent Street; Christies Beach, 96 Dyson Road | (08) 8204 2444, or free call 1800 571 191 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
The Legal Services Commission's duty lawyers work full time at the Adelaide Magistrates Court and the Youth Court in the city, and at the suburban courts when their general lists sit. The service is free but may not be available every day. People in custody come first, then people who need an adjournment or a simple guilty plea and would be seriously disadvantaged without help; a duty lawyer may decline matters people could reasonably handle themselves, such as simple cannabis possession, minor traffic offences or intervention orders. The Commission says it is best to speak to it before you go to court. Its Legal Advice Clinic, on the ground floor of the Adelaide Magistrates Court next to the Justice of the Peace's office, helps people without a lawyer from 9:30am to noon on weekdays, with matters such as debts, neighbour disputes, car accidents, intervention orders and minor criminal and traffic offences. Women applying for an intervention order can get help from the Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service on 1800 246 642. If you want a lawyer of your own before the day, request a $295 consultation or call 1800 577 015.
Appearing at Adelaide Magistrates Court? Our partner service AllCourts has a practical guide to Adelaide Magistrates Court — address, daily court lists, and what to expect on the day.
Free and low-cost legal help in Adelaide: who answers, and when
Numbers, hours and addresses checked against each service's own website on 23 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 Services Commission of SA, Legal Helpline | Anyone in SA: general advice and referrals about family, criminal and traffic matters, domestic violence and intervention orders, debts, neighbours, employment and more | 1300 366 424 (from interstate, (08) 8111 5600); head office 159 Gawler Place, Adelaide | 9am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday |
| Community Legal Centres SA | Free advice and referral from its member centres across the state | 1300 860 529 | Not published |
| Uniting Communities Law Centre | The city, inner and eastern suburbs and the Hills: family law, minor criminal, traffic, consumer, tenancy, neighbour and civil matters. Eligibility depends on your finances and where you live | 43 Franklin Street, Adelaide; (08) 8202 5960; country callers 1300 886 220 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Northern Community Legal Service | The northern suburbs: tenancy, employment, minor criminal, family law and migration | 60-62 John Street, Salisbury; (08) 8281 6911 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, by appointment |
| WestSide Community Lawyers | The western suburbs, Mid North and Outback: free legal help for eligible people | 171 Commercial Road, Port Adelaide; (08) 8340 9009 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday; an after-hours clinic on some Tuesday evenings, by appointment |
| Southern Community Justice Centre | The southern suburbs: civil, criminal and family law advice and court representation, subject to eligibility | Colonnades Shopping Centre, Burgess Drive, Noarlunga Centre; (08) 8384 5222; toll free 1300 850 650 | 9am to 5pm |
| Women's Legal Service SA | Women in vulnerable circumstances: legal information, advice and representation | Level 7, 45 Grenfell Street, Adelaide; (08) 8231 8929 | Office 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Legal information line 10am to 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays |
| Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement | Aboriginal people in South Australia | 321-325 King William Street, Adelaide; (08) 8113 3777 (24 hours for emergencies); free call 1800 643 222 (SA only) | Offices 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Law Society of SA, See a Lawyer Referral Service | Anyone wanting a private lawyer: a referral by area of law and location, not advice | (08) 8229 0200 | 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday |
| Domestic and family violence lines | Anyone in SA experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence | Domestic Violence Crisis Line 1800 800 098; 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732; Yarrow Place 1800 817 421 (recent rape and sexual assault) | All 24 hours, every day |
| RentRight SA | Renters and residential park residents across SA: free, independent tenancy advice | 1800 060 462 | Not published on the government page |
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 Adelaide
Most Adelaide firms charge by the hour or by fixed fee. Of the firms that publish their prices, read on their own websites on 23 October 2026: a family law firm offers a free 15-minute phone call and a 90-minute fixed-fee consultation for $550 including GST, with a principal lawyer's rate of $594 an hour including GST; another firm says it generally charges $500 an hour plus GST (on a page last updated in 2024); and a criminal firm lists a fixed fee of $1,650 including GST for a guilty plea in or near Adelaide, on a page last updated in 2020, so the figure may be out of date. Some criminal firms offer a free first appointment. A Legal Services Commission duty lawyer may be able to help at court on the day, free. Our 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in South Australia 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 Adelaide?
Go To Court Lawyers does not have an Adelaide 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 South Australia appear in its 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 Adelaide
Based on our own records for the twelve months to 22 October 2026, the matters people in South Australia 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 and intervention orders, property, wills and estates, compensation, drink driving and employment. Each practice area above has its own Adelaide page.Fast Lawyer Matching in Adelaide
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 — Adelaide Lawyers
How quickly can I speak to a lawyer in Adelaide?
How much does a lawyer cost in Adelaide?
Where is the Adelaide Magistrates Court?
Can I get free legal help in Adelaide?
How much can I claim in the Adelaide Magistrates Court?
Where do appeals from the Adelaide Magistrates Court go?
Where is the Youth Court in Adelaide?
Need a Lawyer in Adelaide?
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.