Telephone Advice Service for NFPs

About the NFP Telephone Advice Service

PilchConnect's Telephone Advice Service (TAS) pilot commenced on 1 July 2009. 

PilchConnect’s Telephone Advice Service (TAS) is a limited advice service, operating on a call-back basis, for simple questions about legal issues affecting Victorian, not-for-profit community organisations (NFPs). Our service is particularly targeting community organisations that have public interest objectives.  

Not all inquires are suitable for telephone advice - eligibility criteria apply to the service. Further details about the eligibility criteria for this service are set out below.

Please call us on  03 8636 4444 or   1800 706 220 and we will talk to you about whether your inquiry is one that is suitable for phone advice.

The TAS is staffed by lawyers at PilchConnect. If your query is accepted for phone advice a TAS lawyer will contact you within 2-10 days to provide you with the advice over the phone. Please note, our phone advice service is a call back service - we do not have the resources to give immediate legal advice to clients when they call.

PilchConnect will use the answers to frequently asked legal questions to write up generic fact sheets (no identifying information) for our website to assist others to resolve their legal issues.

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Eligibility criteria for NFP Telephone Advice Service

To be eligibile for PilchConnect's telephone advice service:

(i) the community organisation must:   

• be not-for-profit (i.e. not commercial or government agency etc); and
• be based in Victoria or have a nexus to Victoria; and
• be public serving and have public interest objectives or have a legal inquiry the answer to which is relevant to the whole NFP sector.

(ii) the question must relate to: 

• a legal issue (we do not give advice about financial or management issues or internal disputes); and 
• an issue which is currently faced by the organisation (we do not give advice about theoretical or prospective legal issues); and
• a legal issue relevant to setting up or running an effective community organisation; and
• a matter where no conflict of interest exists for PILCH; and
• an issue that is suitable for telephone advice which means it must be :
  • a one-off inquiry;
  • an inquiry where a lawyer does not need to sight documents in order to give advice (eg. no contracts to review although an exception may be made for Rules / Constitution to be sent through prior to advice);
  • an inquiry that can be answered in approx. 10-30 minute (max) time period; and
  • does not require follow up.

(iii) the decision to accept a matter for phone advice may also be based on:

• current ability of PilchConnect to respond to TAS inquiries (including TAS queue and staffing levels)
• whether the matter is within the expertise of PilchConnect staff (more complex matters may be referred for pro bono legal assistance if they are eligible : see further Legal Assistance)

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Support for the Telephone Advice Service (TAS)

PilchConnect is grateful for the support of the Legal Services Board of Victoria and the William Buckland Foundation in setting up the Telephone Advice Service pilot.

	In late 2008, we received a grant from the Legal Services Board of Victoria, including funding to pilot a telephone advice service for Victorian, not-for-profit community organisations.
	In late 2007, PilchConnect received a grant from the William Buckland Foundation to help establish the PilchConnect service - including the Telephone Advice Service.

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Contact our Telephone Advice Service

PilchConnect can be contacted by calling  03 8636 4444 or  1800 706 220.

All inquiries are initially answered by PILCH volunteers who will ask a series of questions about your not-for-profit organisation and its legal issue. The volunteer will then discuss inquiries with PilchConnect lawyers and we will inform your organisation about the services we have available to help (including possible listing for telephone legal advice).

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