A lawyer can help you determine whether any of the state, territory or federal anti-discrimination laws apply to the treatment you suffered or have been accused of. They will assist you in deciding how you have been discriminated against or what laws you may have broken if you have been accused of discriminating against someone else. They will also tell you what the laws are in your jurisdiction (state or territory) or if federal laws apply.

A lawyer can also suggest how you should legally respond to the discrimination. They can help you write a letter of complaint to someone and explain whether there are any remedies you can seek. If you receive a letter of complaint a lawyer can advise you on how to respond.

If an informal approach does not successfully resolve the problem a lawyer can assist you to make a complaint or respond to a complaint in an anti-discrimination commission. Although lawyers are generally discouraged from attending a commission’s proceedings (such as conciliation) you can still benefit from a lawyer’s advice and assistance with document preparation. A lawyer can also advise you on proposed settlement offers.

If the matter is not settled in the anti-discrimination commission and it proceeds to a tribunal or court a lawyer can help you draft your documents. They can also represent you in the court proceedings and may be able to represent you before a tribunal depending on the tribunal’s rules and any special needs you have.