About the law and family or sexual violence
After family and sexual violence, laws and legal processes influence decisions about safety, children, money and housing.
The free legal information here can help you understand your options.
Legal information
What to expect at a Family Violence Intervention Order hearing in Victoria, including who needs to go, what happens on the day, and where to get support.
Get legal information about separation and divorce, including when family violence happens.
A clear guide to property settlements after separation, including how assets and debts are divided, what the law considers fair.
Learn how family law works after separation, including parenting plans, consent orders and court processes — with support to keep children’s best interests front and centre.
Learn about the rights and where to get support for people who have suffered physical or emotional injury, or financial loss because of a crime.
Learn what happens to your visa if you’re experiencing family violence, whether your partner can cancel your visa, and when to get advice from a migration lawyer.
Learn what further and better particulars are, why the Magistrates’ Court may ask for them, and how to explain your experiences of family violence clearly and safely.
Learn about what a family violence intervention order is and how it can keep you safe from someone using family violence.
What is family violence?
Family and domestic violence is any violent, threatening, coercive or controlling behaviour that occurs in current or past family, domestic or intimate relationships. If a child witnesses abusive behaviour or is exposed to the impacts of this, they are a victim of family violence in their own right.
Family violence can be:
- limiting your control of money,
- giving you a spending allowance or stopping you from working
- threatening to hurt your family, friends, pets or themselves
- threatening to tell others about your sexuality or personal information
- checking to see what you’re doing all of the time
- physically hurting you, breaking objects or using force to scare you
- putting you down, calling you names, making you feel worthless
- criticising or controling decisions you make
- threatening to cancel your visa
- stopping you from seeing other people or connecting to culture
- wanting to access your personal messages, phone or social media
You are not alone, support is available
Online help to plan for your safety
Are you thinking about separating, or experiencing domestic, family or sexual violence?
The My safety tool can help you plan for your safety.