For Practitioners

Book a meeting with a lawyer (secondary consult)

If you are working in a community, health or other support organisation and are working with a woman experiencing family violence, we can provide you with information, guidance and practical advice to help you support the needs and wellbeing of the person you are working with. 

 

This service is called a secondary consult and involves a lawyer meeting you as a worker, without your client present.

 

The woman you are working with must be experiencing family violence, and:

  • receives $1200 or less a week after tax from salary and/or benefits 
  • has less than $500,000 equity in their family home
  • is yet to engage another lawyer

There are a lot of legal issues that come from family violence, like agreeing to safely look after children, splitting up cars or bank accounts, organising a new visa or living arrangements, dealing with damage to a rental property and making sure the bills are paid fairly. 

 

Getting legal help as soon as possible can significantly improve a person’s ability to secure a safe future for themselves and their family.

You should seek a secondary consult to check:

  • whether your client should apply for an intervention order and how to do it
  • what happens if your client leaves the family home
  • what to do if your client has received contact from another lawyer or mediation service or been served with court documents
  • what to do if your client is worried their ex-partner will sell the family home, withdraw funds from bank accounts and/or take out debt

 

  • if you think your client should apply for victims of crime assistance
  • how separation impacts your client if they do not have permanent residency or citizenship in Australia
  • how to find out what residency status your client (as well as any children) has
  • what to do if your client needs to communicate with the Department of Home Affairs about their or their children’s visa
  • what to do if your client is threatened with deportation or having their child/ren taken overseas
  • if your client should let their child/ren see the other parent
  • what to do if a child or children are taken or not returned to your client as agreed
  • what to do if your client has been contacted by Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (also known as Child Protection)
  • what to do if your client must go to court in relation to a child protection matter
  • what to do if your client has had their child removed from them 
I want to book myself in to get a secondary consult with a lawyer

Legal advice for your client

We are busier than usual at the moment. We may not be able to book your client in for an appointment to speak with one of our lawyers.

 

If we can’t book your client in for an appointment we will try to find a legal service who may be able to help them.

 

You can speak to us in a secondary consult about finding a legal service that may be able to help your client.

Our office is closed

We will reopen at 9am Monday 8 January 2024.

 

You can contact Victoria Legal Aid for legal support or Safe Steps for family violence support. 

 

Our duty lawyer services will continue during this period. Please contact your local court if you need legal help at court.

 

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Other family violence support