Advice Service

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The Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) Advice Service responds to more than 13,000 requests a year from people with disability and their family, carers and friends.

The service also provides advice and assistance to professionals from the health, human services, legal, community services and government sectors.

OPA’s team of highly trained staff can provide advice on a diverse range of matters that affect people with disability, including:

  • guardianship and administration
  • enduring powers of attorney
  • medical treatment decision-making
  • referral to OPA's Community Visitors Program.

Privacy and confidentiality are respected. If Advice Service staff are unable to help, they will refer you to a service that can.

Contacting the Advice Service

How to contact the OPA Advice Service

The OPA Advice Service operates from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4:45pm.

Telephone: 1300 309 337

TTY: 1300 305 612

National Relay Service: 133 677

If the Advice Service telephone line is busy, you can leave your contact details and an adviser will return your call as soon as possible. Most calls are returned within an hour.

You can also contact the OPA Advice Service by:

Fax: 1300 787 510

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In person: Level 1, 204 Lygon Street, Carlton Victoria 3053

While you can visit OPA in person, you may need to wait until an adviser is available and there are occasions when staff will not be available on that day. Appointments are not generally available, however if there are special circumstance that require an appointment, contact OPA to discuss.

After hours advice

OPA provides an after-hours service for advice on urgent matters that cannot wait until the next business day.

Urgent matters include:
•    emergency situations relating to people who have an OPA guardian
•    advice for medical professionals about urgent medical consent issues
•    urgent guardianship or administration applications
•    seeking advice on protection of a person with disability from abuse, violence or neglect
•    advice for private guardians appointed by VCAT confronted with an urgent issue.

Phone: 1300 309 337.
Your call will be automatically transferred to the after-hours service. If the matter is not urgent, you will be asked to contact OPA during business hours.