Our Services

We provide women experiencing relationship breakdown and family violence free legal support, advice, and representation.

We understand you might need more than legal advice, so we also have a team of social workers and financial counsellors to support you.

Please call us between 9am-12:30pm on 1800 133 302 if you:

need urgent one-off child protection or criminal law advice.
are on a temporary or no visa and need migration advice.

We prioritise support for people who are experiencing family violence and face other barriers to justice. This may include:

- having no or low income or access to money
- having limited access to other legal support
- not having secure housing
- being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- not speaking English or having English as a second language
- being on a temporary visa or not having a visa
- living with disability
- caring for children with disability

Where we cannot help, we will always try to find another service who might be able to help.

If you are in an unsafe situation, call 000

If you are unsafe, you should prioritise your safety before seeking legal help.

Once you are safe, you can continue to make an enquiry.

Our lawyers, social workers and financial counsellors work with you to make sure that you have what you need to make decisions for yourself and your children, gain independence and financial stability. Below are the areas we can help with:

Family violence and separation

We can make sure:

family violence intervention orders protect you and your children from family violence
police understand the family violence you have experienced
arrangements for the care of your children are safe and practical
property is fairly divided if your relationship ends (we are unable to help if your property settlement includes a business)
you understand legal processes involved with separating from or divorcing a partner and what the likely outcomes will be

Child protection and care

We can help when Victoria’s Child Protection Service is involved with your family.

We can make sure:

you understand the process and your rights
Child Protection understand the family violence you have experienced
arrangements for the care of your children are safe and practical

We aim to keep children connected to their families or kin where possible.

Migration law

We can support you if you do not have a visa or are on a temporary visa and are experiencing family violence.

We know that being on a temporary visa or not having a visa while escaping family and domestic violence is very challenging.

We can make sure:

you understand your rights and options to stay or leave Australia
your visa status in Australia is fairly determined
you get access to the information and support you need when you leave your relationship with other legal issues and practical needs that are needed

Sexual assault support

If you are a victim-survivor of sexual violence we can support you to:

protect your counselling and medical records from being used in court
know and exercise your rights in a criminal trial
ensure you have the support you need through a criminal trial and afterwards.

Assistance and compensation for victims of crime

If you have suffered injury or loss because of a crime then we can assist you to get financial and other assistance.

We can make sure:

you know your rights and the process of getting victims of crime assistance
you can access financial assistance or compensation through the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal

Support after a bushfire or flood

If you’ve been affected by a natural disaster, like a bushfire or flood, and are escaping family violence, free legal assistance is available.

We can make sure:

family violence intervention orders protect you and your children from family violence
police understand the family violence you have experienced
arrangements for the care of your children are safe and practical
property is fairly divided if your relationship ends
you understand legal processes involved with separating from or divorcing a partner and what the likely outcomes will be

Support in court

We have lawyers on “duty” at some courts to help you if you do not have a lawyer before you come to court.

Women’s Legal duty lawyers currently work at the following courts:

Melbourne Magistrates' Court

If you are at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) hearing, our lawyer can give you free legal advice and represent you in court.

You can call the court before your appearance: 03 9087 6111

A social support worker is also at court who can give you non-legal support.

Melbourne Children's Court

If you are at Melbourne Children’s Court for a Child Protection hearing, our lawyer can give you free legal advice and represent you in court.

Speak to the court on the day of your hearing to be assigned a duty lawyer.

Crime

If you have been affected by a crime that may or may not be related to family violence we can support you:

If you have been charged with an offence that is being heard at the Magistrates Court.
If you need legal information in relation to reporting a crime.
If you are a witness to a crime.
If you have been mis-identified as the accused in a crime and need assistance to defend your charges and show the police that you were the victim.

We can made sure:

You understand the criminal process from reporting to a conviction in court.

We can work alongside your child protection, family law, migration law, and assist you with a referral for advice on victims of crime applications