Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service

What Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service does

Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a specialist, non-profit community legal centre headquartered in Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, delivering free legal help and wraparound support to women and gender diverse people across the Big Rivers Region. The organisation was established in 1997 and is governed by a volunteer Management Committee under a membership model open to women, gender diverse people and aligned organisations in the NT. KWILS is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and holds Deductible Gift Recipient endorsement from the Australian Taxation Office, is accredited under the National Accreditation Scheme and is a member of Community Legal Centres Australia.

KWILS' core product is free legal advice and representation across four practice areas: domestic, family and sexual violence (including safety planning and protection orders); family law (parenting arrangements, separation matters); child protection (where the NT Department of Children and Families is involved); and victims of crime compensation applications to the Crime Victims Services Unit. These are complemented by community legal education delivered in plain language and tailored to remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, by referrals to counselling, housing and financial support services, and by multilingual information assets covering 14+ languages including AUSLAN, Warlpiri, Ngarinyman, East Side Kriol and several Asian and African languages. The technology footprint is a compliance-aligned Australian-hosted cloud stack with a multilingual website and contact forms; there are no disclosed AI, mobile app or API products.

KWILS' business model is a public-funding model: core operational funding comes from the Northern Territory Government and the Australian Government (Attorney-General's Department), supplemented by tax-deductible donations and free membership. All client-facing services are provided free of charge, with no fees, no private billing and no commercial revenue streams. Distribution is community-led and event-driven, with direct outreach via Barunga Festival, NAIDOC Week and the Big Rivers Careers Expo, an in-region office on Katherine Terrace (8:00am–4:30pm weekdays), a free 1800 phone line, email and remote-community CLE sessions. Customer concentration is on the funder side rather than the client side: clients are a long-tail of individual beneficiaries, while revenue is concentrated with two government counterparties.

Name

Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service

Legal name

Katherine Women's Information and Legal Service

Website

https://kwils.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a non-profit community legal centre founded in 1997 in Katherine, Northern Territory, delivering free legal advice, representation and support to women and gender diverse people across the Big Rivers Region in domestic violence, family law, child protection and victims of crime matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAAAG

Protection, Child Protection & Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Humanitarian Aid & Disaster Relief

SECONDARYBPADAGAH

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

SECONDARYEDAJAIAD

Safeguarding, Child Protection & Reporting Services

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Student Health, Safety & Wellbeing Services (Counseling, Mental Health, SEL, Safeguarding)

Keywords

• Community legal services
• Women's legal aid
• Family law services
• Domestic violence support
• Legal advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Katherine

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: KWILS is a not-for-profit community legal centre funded primarily by the Northern Territory Government and Australian Government. These are core operational funding sources that enable free legal service delivery.
2. Donations: KWILS accepts tax-deductible donations from the public. Donations support vital legal services, community programs and advocacy across the Big Rivers region. The organisation is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient.
3. Membership: KWILS offers free membership to women and gender diverse people living in the Northern Territory, as well as organisations that share their values. Membership helps shape the organisation's future and builds community solidarity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KWILS delivers free legal advice, representation, and wraparound support services to women and gender diverse people across the Big Rivers Region of the Northern Territory. Core practice areas include domestic, family and sexual violence (safety planning, protection orders), family law, child protection, and Crime Victims Services Unit (CVSU) compensation applications, complemented by community legal education, advocacy, referrals, and multilingual information services.

Product overview

Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a specialist women's legal service organization providing a unified suite of free legal help services for women and gender diverse people across the Big Rivers region of the Northern Territory since 1997. The core offering consists of legal advice and representation services, including specialized support for domestic, family and sexual violence, family law, child protection matters, and crime victims compensation assistance. These are complemented by community legal education programs, advocacy and partnerships for systemic change, and multilingual information services to ensure accessibility. The organization combines one-on-one casework with broader efforts to challenge inequalities, prevent violence and create lasting community change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Advice and Representation Services Free legal advice, representation, and support for women and gender diverse people across the Big Rivers region of the Northern Territory, covering family law, domestic/family/sexual violence, child protection, and victims of crime compensation matters.
• Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Support Specialised legal and support service for individuals experiencing violence in intimate relationships or trusted environments, including safety planning, assistance with protection orders, and rights education.
• Family Law Services Legal assistance for women after separation, including parenting arrangements, safety plans, and other family law matters.
• Child Protection Legal Support Legal support and rights explanation for mothers and family members involved in Child in Need of Protection cases when the Department of Children and Families is involved.
• Crime Victims Compensation Assistance Assistance with applications to the Crime Victims Services Unit (CVSU) for financial support and compensation for those affected by violent crimes.
• Safety Planning Individualised safety planning services to help clients protect themselves and plan for future safety, delivered alongside legal advice and representation.
• Referrals and Service Connections Connecting clients with counselling, housing, financial support, and other community support services to address non-legal needs.
• Community Legal Education Interactive, practical, and tailored educational sessions on legal rights, delivered in plain language using culturally respectful approaches for community members or service providers.
• Advocacy and Partnerships Systemic advocacy work partnering with community organisations, services, and peak bodies to influence law reform and create change for women and gender diverse people.
• Multilingual Information Service Legal and service information available in multiple languages including AUSLAN, Chinese, East Side Kriol, Filipino, Hindi, Indonesian, Malay, Nepali, Ngarinyman, Punjabi, Spanish, Swahili, Thai, Vietnamese, and Warlpiri to ensure accessibility for diverse communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free legal and support services provided to women and gender diverse people in the Big Rivers Region

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Legal Centres AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKWILS is a member of Community Legal Centres Australia, the national peak body for community legal centres. This membership provides advocacy support, sector coordination, and recognition of good practice standards through the National Accreditation Scheme.
• Environmental Defenders Office (NT Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElanor Fenge, Managing Lawyer of the Northern Territory Team at the Environmental Defenders Office, serves on the KWILS Management Committee. Elanor is also a volunteer at the Top End Women's Legal Service, adding governance and practice management experience to KWILS.
• Headspace KatherineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatasha Reece, Centre Manager at Headspace Katherine, serves on the KWILS Management Committee, bringing expertise in mental health, community development and youth services to support KWILS' strategic direction.
• Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRebecca Bond, CEO of Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation and the Dijan Training Program, serves on the KWILS Management Committee, contributing expertise in Aboriginal community-controlled health, education and organisational leadership.
• Network Tindal IncorporatedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatasha Reece's leadership at Network Tindal Incorporated provides governance, compliance and stakeholder engagement experience to the KWILS Management Committee.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Queensland Women's Legal Service: Queensland-based specialist women's legal service providing free legal advice and representation in family law and domestic violence. Comparable service mix and target population, but regionally focused on Queensland rather than NT.
• Women's Legal Service Victoria: Specialist women's legal service in Victoria providing free legal help across family law, intervention orders, and sexual assault matters. Comparable in service specialisation but operates in a different jurisdiction; serves as a peer for benchmarking impact and operating model.
• Women's Legal Service NSW: Largest specialist women's legal centre in Australia, providing free legal services across NSW. Highly comparable in service scope (DV, family law, child protection) but operates in NSW jurisdiction rather than NT; serves as a relevant scale benchmark.
• Women's Legal Centre ACT: Specialist women's legal centre serving the ACT and region, providing free legal services in family law, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Comparable in mission and service lines, though operating in a different jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Central Australian Women's Legal Service: Women's legal service based in Alice Springs serving Central Australia. Directly comparable as another NT-region specialist women's legal centre addressing domestic violence, family law, and child protection matters for women in remote communities.
• Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM): South Australia's major Aboriginal legal services provider, offering criminal, civil, and family law services to Aboriginal people. Comparable as an Aboriginal-focused community legal aid provider serving Indigenous clients in regional/remote Australia with government funding.
• North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA): Aboriginal-controlled legal service operating across the NT, providing culturally appropriate legal services. Directly comparable as a NT-based community legal service with overlapping clients, Indigenous service focus, and similar funding model.
• Darwin Community Legal Service: Generalist community legal centre serving the Darwin region of the NT. Comparable as a NT-based community legal centre providing free legal services, though serving a broader client base than KWILS' specialist women's focus.
• Top End Women's Legal Service: Specialist women's legal service based in Darwin, NT, providing free legal services to women in the Top End of the Northern Territory. Directly comparable as a sister NT-based women's legal centre serving a similar client base with overlapping service areas and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Community Legal Centres Australia: National peak body representing community legal centres across Australia. KWILS is a member. Comparable as the umbrella sector organisation setting accreditation standards and advocating for the community legal sector in which KWILS operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katherine-women-s-information-legal-service

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service