Financial counselling is a free and confidential service offered by not-for-profit community organisations to assist with debt support.

A financial counsellor can help clients assess their financial situation as well as negotiate with other parties, like debt collectors, creditors, landlords, utility providers or government agencies, to try and waive or diminish unlawful debts.

To provide a free service, financial counselling providers typically have eligibility requirements on the clients they can assist. For example, a client may have to have high debt or be earning a low to moderate income.

To find a financial counsellor near you, there is an interactive map, via Moneysmart.com, that lists service providers.

Counselling services often have limited capacity and you may be required to contact multiple providers before getting an appointment.

A financial planner or adviser can work with you over a longer period of time than a counsellor to understand your financial needs, create financial plans and build your financial skills in areas like debt support, budgeting, saving or investing.

While financial planners usually work with their clients over longer periods, a financial adviser typically provides guidance to a client at a specific point in time on a more specialised issue. This may include specific suggestions about making property investments, how to save money or what insurance coverage is best.

Anyone who gives personal financial advice and most general advice providers must have an Australian financial services (AFS) license.

Financial planners or advisers usually charge a fee for their services. You can read more about how a financial planner or adviser sets their fees via the moneysmart.com website.

Conveyancers are licensed legal professionals authorised to support clients prepare and/or review all the transfer of title documentation, conduct title and certificate searches, communicate with the seller on your behalf and review and explain all the terms and conditions of the contract of sale.

Conveyancers are not fully qualified lawyers and therefore cannot perform all legal duties. Conveyancer are only authorised to assist with the legal requirements involved with purchasing property.

A solicitor (lawyer) can perform all work completed by a conveyancer as well as other generalised legal tasks.

Solicitors may be more equipped to deal with complicated or out-of-the-ordinary issues, such as disputes, Wills or tax matters. Any specific legal work requires a solicitor.

For more information on the difference between conveyancers and solicitors, the Fitzroy Legal Service has an online guide.

There are many free legal providers, however they may not support clients with conveyancing matters. It is useful to ask a friend or family member for a referral when choosing a conveyancer or solicitor. It is important to ask fees before engaging a professional.

If you are unhappy with the service of a conveyancer or solicitor, you can contact the Legal Services Board and Commissioner to make a complaint.

A mortgage broker is private party which acts as a go-between for lenders and customers.

A mortgage broker can help customers understand their needs, work out borrowing limits, find loan options, explain how a loan works and apply for a loan on the customer's behalf.

Typically, mortgage brokers get paid a commission (or broker fee) by the lender for arranging a loan. This means the customer usually does not pay upfront fees to the broker - although the lender may charge fees, like an application fee.

You can learn more about how to verify your brokers license via Moneysmart.com.

A buyer's advocate (or buyer's agent) is paid a fee-for-service to work on a customer's behalf to negotiate a property purchase in an auction or private sale.

A buyer's advocate can help customers access properties and property market information that is not readily available to the public. They can also inspect a property, negotiate or bid on customer's behalf, follow up until a sale is finished and connect all the related parties during the settlement process.

For more information on a choosing a buyer's advocate, you can read the Consumer Affairs Victoria guide.

A property manager is paid by a landlord to manage the day-to-day tasks of running a rental property.

If you're looking to rent out your property, a property manager can help to find a suitable renter, collect rent and deal with property maintenance and repairs.

To find out more about the role of a property manager visit the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.

Most property sales are conducted through an estate agent, but it is possible to sell a property without professional assistance.

If you list your property with an agent, you are engaging the agent to help sell your property.

The agent will charge customers a fee for their service, usually in the form of a commission of the property sale price. Customers engage estate agents to organise property inspections, attract buyers, conduct auctions, arrange signing of the contract and collect the full deposit.

For more information on how to choose an estate agent and their fees, visit the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.

The more you know about your financial situation or financial goals the easier it can be for a professional to help. Think about the areas of knowledge you might be least familiar with, and seek information or support accordingly.

If you know someone in your Mob who has engaged with professional services on the journey to home ownership, ask them for a recommendation. It can be helpful if your chosen provider has experience working with Aboriginal clients.

Researching your providers credentials before engaging in work is important in protecting your own liability. This means checking the service provider's background, including history of working with Aboriginal clients, their fees and, most importantly, that they are correctly licensed and registered.

If you have found a practitioner that you are interested in engaging, you may have to wait for their next available appointment. For some, waiting periods may not work within personal timelines. It's important to check a providers availability before engaging. Be sure to ask about their company policies on insurance, refunds and rebates too.

If you have to sign contracts to engage the practitioner, it may be a good idea to double-check what is in writing with a person you trust.

Free financial counselling service to assist with debt support. The National Debt Helpline is open from 9.30am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday. Free call 1800 007 007.

When you call, you'll be transferred to the service in your state, or make an online appointment to see a financial counsellor. Use the interactive ‘Find a Financial Counsellor’ map to arrange a consultation near you.

Free legal service and debt help for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from anywhere in Australia provided by Financial Rights Legal Centre.

Their services cover a range of areas including financial management and literacy, debt, insurance and superannuation.

Call 1800 808 488 to make an appointment.

VAHS offers Financial Wellbeing support as part of their Family Counselling Service.

The Financial Wellbeing Team provide services and assistance including financial counselling, advocacy, problem gambling counselling, access to housing services, and social support including emergency relief.

The program works collaboratively across all VAHS programs and receives client referrals from external Aboriginal and mainstream organisations.

For more information, you can call the Family Counselling Service on (03) 9403 3300.

Good Shepherd’s free financial counselling service is available in Bayside, Brimbank and Melton areas, they work to assist people who are experiencing financial hardship.

Call the Financial Counselling Intake & Assessment Team on 1300 015 500 or email fcintake@goodshep.org.au to find out if you're eligible to access these programs.

The Salvation Army offers state-wide free financial counselling and financial coaching services.

If you would like to make an appointment with one of their Financial Counsellors, call 1800 722 363 or visit the Salvation Army website to access the counselling search tool and find a counsellor near you.

Anglicare Victoria offer state-wide free financial counselling services. You can call 1800 809 722 or use the interactive map on the Anglicare website to find a counsellor near you.

St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria provide a range of state-wide free financial advice programs, including budgeting and one-on-one financial counselling.

For assistance call 13 18 12.

Uniting Victoria offers free counselling services to selected regions of Victoria.

For residents in Hume Merri-bek, call 1300 882 035.

For residents in Banyule, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea or Yarra areas, call 1800 685 682.

VALS Civil and Human Rights team can assist you with casework and advice in the following areas: credit, debt and debt collection, consumer law issues, disputes, Wills, Power of Attorney and conveyancing referrals.

Call the VALS Civil and Human Rights practice team on 03 9418 5999 or visit their website.

The Consumer Action Law Centre is a free legal service and with a dedicated Koori Help team. The Consumer Action Law Centre focuses on consumer disputes with businesses, in relation to financial or service exchanges.

To speak to the Koori Help team call 1800 574 457 or visit the Koori Help website.

Community Legal Centers (CLCs) are independent, non-for-profit organisations that provide free legal support and advice. There are 49 CLCs across the state of Victoria.

Due to high demand for legal services, client eligibility criteria applies. Contact your nearest CLC to find out more about eligibility.

Find a CLC near you via the Federation of Community Legal Centres (FCLC) website.

Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria is a free dispute resolution service for homeowners to access when needing to resolve a dispute with their builder. You can receive free advice or an independent building assessor to help resolve domestic building disputes.

Apply online or call the Building Information Line on 1300 55 75 59.

Justice Connect Domestic Building Legal Service can assist eligible Victorian homeowners involved in disputes with their builders if the dispute cannot be resolved at Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria.

Eligible homeowners may receive a one-hour consultation with a volunteer lawyer who may provide advice or assistance drafting documents.

Apply online or call 1800 727 550.