Visiting a legal clinic may be a good choice if you need free legal advice. A wide range of legal clinics is available in Singapore, including those run by government agencies and non-profit organizations. We have listed 9 of them below here:
Singapore Legal Clinics That Offer Free Legal Advice
1. Several locations: Community Legal Clinics by The Law Society of Singapore
Singaporeans and Permanent Residents living in Singapore can make appointments with Community Legal Clinics if they need legal advice on personal matters (investment, business, and professional matters are not applicable).
Those who have never sought legal advice before and who are not represented by lawyers are eligible to attend the clinic. An experienced volunteer lawyer will meet with you for 20 minutes in a strictly confidential setting.
There are four different locations where Community Legal Clinics are held every Monday to Thursday (except public holidays and eves of public holidays). Locations include:
North West District: Woodlands Civic Centre
South East District: Wisma Geylang Serai
South West District: The JTC Summit
Central Singapore District: HDB Hub
Call 6536 0650 or email clc@lawsocprobono.org to schedule an appointment. To help the lawyer understand your situation, you should also bring all relevant documents to the meeting.
Learn more about Community Legal Clinics by visiting the Law Society Pro Bono Services Offices website.
2. Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply for the Legal Clinic of Singapore Management University’s Pro Bono Center.
Located in town, the Singapore Management University (SMU) Pro Bono Centre accepts applicants of all nationalities (including foreigners).
For a consultation with the clinic’s volunteer lawyers, you must belong to a “low-income or disadvantaged group ”.
In addition, your matter must be personal (not related to business, corporations, or investments).
Legal clinics are held every Friday evening (except in April and November). For those who need urgent, last-minute legal advice before attending court hearings on Monday, the SMU Pro Bono Centre is also an option.
To make an appointment, you can:
Email probonocentre@smu.edu.sg;
Call 6828 1951; OR
Fill in this online form.
To learn more about SMU’s legal clinic, visit the SMU Pro Bono Centre website.
3. Community Justice Centre offers an On-Site Legal Advice Scheme for litigants in person
Community Justice Centre is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of litigants in person (individuals who represent themselves in court without a lawyer).
Legal advice is provided free and immediately to litigants in person who urgently require legal advice on personal matters through the On-Site Legal Advice Scheme. Commercial, corporate, and business matters cannot be handled in person by the court.
First-come, first served is the clinic’s policy. Appointments are not necessary.
From Monday through Friday (except public holidays), 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. to 4 p.m., we offer clinic sessions at State Courts Towers.
Each session lasts up to 20 minutes and is conducted by a volunteer lawyer. The service can only be used once by litigants in person.
For more information on the On-Site Legal Advice Scheme, visit the Community Justice Centre website.
4. Consumer complaints: Legal Consultation by the Consumer Association of Singapore
The Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting consumers’ interests. You can consult a CASE officer if you have a dispute between a consumer and a business.
Your case will be assessed by the officer during the consultation, and recommendations will be made as a result. A consultation with an officer at the CASE office requires an appointment. From Monday to Friday, consultations are available from 10am to 4pm. You can schedule an appointment by calling 9795 8397.
You can also call CASE’s Consumer Relations Officers between 9am and 5pm on Mondays to Fridays at 9795 8397.
For more information about CASE’s consumer dispute resolution services, visit their website.
5. For women only: Legal Clinic by the Association of Women for Action and Research
Women only receive free one-time legal consultations from the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), a non-governmental organization advocating for gender equality.
In order to qualify for free legal advice at AWARE’s clinic, applicants must need assistance with a personal matter (such as divorce, family violence, or Syariah law). They must have also not already engaged lawyers.
The length of each session is 20 minutes, and the time and date of each clinic are determined by the matter you need advice on. All cases are kept strictly confidential.
To make an appointment, you can call the AWARE hotline at 1800 777 5555. The hotline is open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.
Visit the AWARE website for more information on its legal clinic.
6. Singapore Intellectual Property Office’s IP Legal Clinic provides legal advice on intellectual property matters
If you require legal advice on intellectual property matters, consider attending the IP Legal Clinic organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS).
Clinic sessions usually last 45 minutes on Thursdays. IPOS will reimburse you for the $200-$500 session fee you pay to the lawyer handling your case.
Online appointment scheduling is available through this form. During the appointment, you will need to provide your IP application/registration numbers (if applicable) and the other party’s information.
You can learn more about the IP Legal Clinic by visiting the IPOS website.
7. Muslim Missionary Society Singapore (Jamiyah Singapore) offers legal assistance in Syariah law matters through its Jamiyah Legal Clinic.
If you need free legal advice in matters of Syariah law, you can visit the Jamiyah Legal Clinic run by the Muslim Missionary Society Singapore (also known as Jamiyah Singapore).
The clinic will refer cases pertaining to Syariah law to a special panel of Muslim lawyers, but also provides advice on non-Syariah law issues, such as family disputes, matrimonial problems, and property divisions, to people of all races and religions. Muslim or non-Muslim volunteer lawyers can also be requested to meet with applicants.
Consultations are by appointment only, and eligibility is determined when you make the appointment. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 67431211. It is necessary for applicants to attend in person.
During the week, the legal clinic operates from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday at Jamiyah Centre Level 4, 31 Lorong 12 Geylang.
The legal clinic also offers video-conferencing services at special kiosks at Kaki Bukit Community Centre and Eunos Community Club for elderly or frail applicants who cannot come to the clinic’s main address. On every second and fourth Tuesday of the month, these iCounsel clinics take place from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
If you would like more information about Jamiyah Legal Clinic, you can reach them through Jamiyah Singapore’s website.
8. Legal Clinic by the Migrant Workers’ Centre for migrant workers
On the first and third Saturdays of every month, 12 to 2pm, the Migrant Workers’ Centre hosts a free legal clinic for those with work permits or S Passes in Singapore.
Contact the Migrant Workers’ Centre helpline at 6536 2692, or send an email to feedback@mwc.org.sg.
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