Toongabbie Legal Centre Inc. - Toongabbie, New South Wales

Deepti K.

Met with Shikha, daphne, aqueous, Peter and a few other people. Amazing work. Love the insights provided. Thank you so much team. Appreciate the genuine time and patience in providing this advice.

Nicky A.

unfortunately I have a bad experience visiting there for legal advice for a simple matter. I was surprised when the elderly lawyer who I talked to says "you are a beautiful lady" to me. I responded with a smile with respect as he is a lot older than me and tryed to get back to the legal matter I wanted advice on. Evey time I tryed to talk about my matter he ignored it and asked questions about my husband etc witch was not comnected to my matter at all. Then he said that he got a friend in same community of mine and took a call to her and asked me to talk to her. I was nice and talked to her quikly and again tryed to get back to the matter witch i was there for and he seemed not liking it and tryed to find a missing document or information to avoid helping. I told him please advice me what other documents and information you need other than I have at the moment. so i can prepare them and come back.But he seems clearly did not care. And also he said go to cort straightly witch i know it does not work that way. If you are a lady or anyone who does not have lots of knowledge about legal matters better not to go alone.
Note: pl make this place reliable so that every one can get fair treatment and advise.

Bincy G.

This is not a place for all - and don't expect any communal-empathy, as “community-based” is just a word to keep their political image!
I'm a female who migrated to Australia, and is from the same so-called community TLC supports. My experience from TLC was very bad and as below:

I went there to get some advice on a land easement issue. This is the very first legal requirement in my life and TLC was my starting point.
First thing they wanted was my income - I felt awkward!
Why a community- based volunteer-run legal-advice centre needs income details? Education makes sense, but not income.
Soon got the answer – I got an appointment with their senior person (Mr Susai Benjamin) the very-next day!

Next day when I reached, there was another family (hi-profile couple going to invest abroad) with whom Mr Benjamin was behaving very properly. It was very obvious that their profile made him behave so.
But when it came to me, everything was somersaulted - he bombarded me with: where is your husband? why you came instead of him? why your family didn’t come? etc etc
He was so impatient and wasn’t even listening to me properly – was attending others/other things in between. Finally concluded that I didn’t prepare and explain things properly (which was not correct).
I told him multiple times that it's my first experience with a law matter. Somehow he concluded that I have done some severe blunder and hence he gave some lawyer’s visiting card (and of course some TLC badges for $10) and called for next!!
Then in front of his staff and other people, he was comparing me with some online money scam victim visited him earlier – I have no idea how is a land easement matter same as a stupid online scam…
I was about to leave, and he was telling to the air “this is my character, many people will not like it”.
I said nothing and left – in fact I was in an absolute shock – expected a decent human behaviour from a centre claimed to be for “the community”, but became the victim of an arrogant attitude!!

I shard my experience with a couple of friends - one of the families also had the same experience from him...
So just wanted to tell here - Mr Susai Benjamn, this arrogance is not your character, you are just trying to show off your money and political power to ordinary people. I saw your other face 10 mins prior to that...
Character is something you show to everyone - attitude is something you show to people based on their ethnical/financial/political status.
TLC looks like more of a way for you to retain your public image and political positions – than a sincere community service.
People expect some empathy from a fellow-ethnic person, especially in a community service like this.

PS: I went to LEC Duty Solicitor and they helped me properly with some key law points – and of course, great behaviour.

SRK D.

Extremely arrogant, rude disrespectful, crossing all boundaries. Save your time and get proper legal advice from someone helpful and who knows their stuff. Pretty sure all positive reviews are from friends, family, and political affiliates.

Erica L.

Amazing group of professionals willing to give of their time to support the vulnerable and less privileged of our diverse community = a very worthy cause.

keith G.

Waste of time. Filtered according to income. Yet if you ask them before the service they will say they can still advise you. The only advice they gave me was to find a solicitor.

This is after waiting for 45 minutes. There no queue system.

There's no real solicitors here. Only students.

Staff were abrupt, cold and robotic. They carry on like they're working in a supreme Court.

Seriously, why advertise free legal service if you're just going to quote a policy that's already in the public domain?

maple S.

Susai helped me 5 years ago, today I was helped by Peter here again. Terrific volunteers provide wonderful suggestions and help.

Pavan K.

I have gone here to get documents certified and have received extremely rude behaviour and awful experience. The lawyer was an older guy and was impolite and have zero respect to the clients.Regardless of age or other factors, it is crucial to treat others with respect, kindness and consideration. Clients are paying to get notary service with you and despite received disrespectful behaviour such as throwing papers on people’s face, tearing papers, yelling and many more such incidents in just 20 minutes. Anyone reading this review, please be aware before you visit. The only reason I haven’t spoken out and have tolerated this experience was my respect towards his age.