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A doubling in caseload leaves some Indigenous legal centres at risk of going under, prompting calls for emergency funding from the federal government.
Representatives are warning some areas could see increased family violence, child removals, unjust incarceration and deaths in custody if those services disappear.
The peak body National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) is calling for a $250 million support package to prevent imminent service freezes.
NATSILS chair Karly Warner said the group was in the process of reducing the workload of burnt-out staff while minimising the impact on service delivery.
"We are giving advance warning to our communities that without immediate intervention from the federal government we will need to reduce services within the next four weeks," she said.
Since 2018, demand for the services has increased 100 per cent while core commonwealth funding has declined in real terms.
"Double the services and less funding: that's the latest driver of Australia's national justice system emergency for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Ms Warner said.
"We are committed to doing everything we can to support our communities but there's no point in sugar-coating it - this is an extremely dire situation."
NATSILS is calling for a $54m 'workforce continuity fund' to be delivered over the next six months, for additional external lawyers where full-time staff are unable to reach clients, and to start recruiting new permanent staff.
Additionally, the group says an extra $196m is needed over the next two financial years to maintain current service levels and prevent freezes in certain locations.
"Every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who wants to use a culturally safe legal service deserves to be able to access those services," Ms Warner said.
"The federal government is committed to listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and we need them to listen right now."
