Victorian Law Week 2026
Neighbourhood Houses Victoria was honoured to once again partner with Victoria Law Foundation on Victorian Law Week!
Law Week was held 18-24 May 2026, with the aim to improve community understanding and access to various legal services local to the area.
As part of this grant program, 18 Neighbourhood Houses received funding to reach 1,006 community members.
You can read about their projects here:
Ajani Neighbourhood House hosted Costanzo Lawyers in May 2026 for a free community presentation titled Navigating Aged Care in 2026. The session provided participants with clear, practical information to support informed decision-making around aged care options. Delivered by Costanzo Lawyers at Ajani Neighbourhood House, the session Navigating Aged Care in 2026 translated complex legal and financial concepts into practical, real-world scenarios relevant to everyday life.Participants gained a stronger understanding of the legal distinctions between retirement living and aged care, including the rights and responsibilities associated with each setting. | |
The project improved community understanding of the law and justice system by providing clear and practical information in an accessible and welcoming environment. Through an informative and interactive session led by Grant Hutchison from Hutchison Legal, participants gained a better understanding of important legal matters relating to wills and future planning. The event encouraged open discussion and gave community members the opportunity to ask questions, helping make legal information easier to understand and less intimidating. It also increased awareness of the importance of seeking legal advice and planning ahead. Attendees left with a clearer understanding of wills and estate planning, as well as greater awareness of the importance of future planning and seeking legal advice when needed. | |
Attwood House Community Centre Connecting with lawyers in the community to Write a Will | Attwood House Community Centre was pleased to welcome Sarah Younan from Nevaeh Lawyers to present an informative Estate Planning session for our local community. The session provided community members with a valuable opportunity to ask questions, gain clarity on often complex legal matters, and better understand the estate planning options available to them. Participants learned about the importance of planning ahead, ensuring their wishes are clearly documented, and taking practical steps to protect both themselves and their loved ones. |
The Berwick Neighbourhood Centre composed three large visual displays which were placed in high traffic areas across our centres various locations which included hall and foyer areas. These displays covered general questions and answers about everyday law matters with some targeted information for specific target groups in our community. In this circumstance it was young people, older people and general local daily laws for people of all ages to know to get about their day. The duration and reach of this project made it a success. It allowed for a wider breath of people of all ages to be engaged and have access to further details. | |
Where there's a will, there is a way | We provided a free seniors lunch with 22 attendees including our legal counsel Megan from Willow Legal. This was well received and many questions were answered and knowledge was shared over a delicious meal with friends in a safe and inclusive environment. We also supported our local Community with a free session which focused on Wills, POA& Estate planning. The knowledge and understanding of the areas covered was valuable beyond words, and wonderful to see the attendees walking out knowing who to call, equipped with tools to help them navigate specific situations and where to go in our community for professional, legal support. |
Corinella and District Community Centre Exit Strategies | We hosted a presentation on Wills, Estates and Probate, What is means to be an executor and Enduring power of attorney. The presentation was provided Gippsland Community Legal Service who also led an interactive discussion and provided answers and advice. The event was able to to help people to understand their right's and responsibilities in the areas Wills, Estates and Probate and as executors and power of attorney's. |
Girgarre Cottage's Lessons in Law | Local lawyer, based in Kyabram, came to The Cottage and spoke about being on committees that are incorporated and legal implications associated with such committees The 15 attendees are on approximately 25 incorporated committees in Girgarre and surrounding towns. They planned to take the information learnt back to all their committees. |
Long Gully Neighbourhood Centre set up a static display predominantly about Wills and Powers of Attorney with some information about local lawyers and also Arc Justice. We had a lot more interest than expected! Information was also included in our Newsletter and we've had a few talks in the weeks prior (and some planned for the weeks ahead) at Chatty Cafe. People were pleased to be able to gather information about what legal documents are needed to safeguard families facing losing a family member. | |
Louise Multicultural Community Centre Road, Risk & Rights | The project involved delivering a community legal education session focused on road laws, driving responsibilities, and legal rights. More than 20 community members attended the event. Overall, the activity combined legal education with community engagement, helping participants build a clearer understanding of their rights and responsibilities when using the roads. The mix of clear legal information and open discussion created a useful and engaging learning experience, and participants left with a better understanding of their responsibilities on the road. |
Navigating Property, Ownership and the Law | Mansfield Adult Community Education (MACE) delivered Keys, Contracts & Cuppas as part of Victorian Law Week 2026. The event was designed to improve community understanding of legal issues associated with property ownership, buying, selling, estate planning and financial decision-making. The session brought together a panel of local professionals representing law, accounting, finance, insurance and real estate. Participants attended an informal presentation and discussion covering common legal and financial scenarios faced by community members, including purchasing property, refinancing, inheritance and succession planning, subdivision considerations, insurance requirements and legal protections. The project improved community understanding of the law by providing practical, accessible information about legal issues that many people encounter but often find difficult to navigate. |
We held an information session of wills, probate, power of attorney and advance care directives. We also held a session with the ATO on superannuation and scam alters. Our reception area had marketing material and printouts for all the above topics as well as a local directory of services in the area. It gave our attendees are great understanding of business in the local area that can assist. | |
The “Where Law Meets Life” workshop, presented by Ropate Cabealaw, Lawyer for Allied Justice, was successfully delivered for 16 ESL students attended the “Understanding Our Legal Rights” community legal education session. The workshop created a welcoming and inclusive environment where participants were able to increase their understanding of Australian legal systems, individual rights, and pathways for seeking legal assistance. The session strengthened awareness of available local support pathways and reinforced the value of ongoing partnerships between legal services, community organisations, and ESL programs in regional Victoria. | |
We partnered with a legal service provider to host a legal information stall during our weekly Community Food Relief Day, which was attended by approximately 130 families.The lawyer provided practical information around family law and pathways to free legal support. The project improved awareness of legal rights and free support services by providing accessible legal information in a trusted community setting. We consider the project a success as it increased awareness of legal support services within our community and reached approximately 130 families attending the food relief program. |
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