When your house burns down and everything is lost - the last thing on your mind is what the legal implications are. But as the smoke begins to clear, the legal issues suddenly become complex. Did you have insurance in place? How can you access your bank accounts if you’ve got no way to prove your identity? Can you get fired from your job if you’re stuck in an evacuated area? How can you find safety if you had an AVO in place for a residence that no longer exists?

In this episode we will speak with two lawyers, Jenni Smith, the CEO of Northern Community Legal Centre, and PhD candidate Su Robertson, who both provided disaster relief legal assistance in the wake of the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. We will also discuss what’s being put in place by the community sector to provide assistance after these latest fires.