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Women's Legal Service Victoria

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Women's Legal Service Victoria

We work with and for women and non-binary people to address legal issues arising from family violence, sexual violence and relationship breakdown.

Women’s Legal Service Victoria is a specialist, trauma-informed, state-wide for-purpose organisation that has been providing free specialist legal services to women since 1982. We work with, and for, women and non-binary people to address legal issues arising from family violence and relationship breakdown. Women’s Legal’s vision is that women and non-binary people live free from violence and disc

rimination in a gender-equitable society. Our unique contribution to this vision – as lawyers, social workers, financial counsellors, advocates and educators – is to work alongside women and non-binary people experiencing disadvantage to promote their rights to live free from violence and make informed choices about their relationships. Women’s Legal specialises in family and sexual violence, family law, migration, child protection, criminal law and victims of crime assistance – recognising the intersection between the jurisdictions. We focus on women and non-binary people's safety, recovery from violence and economic security. When using this page, you agree to comply with the Social Media Community Guidelines: www.womenslegal.org.au/community-guidelines

This page is managed and moderated by Women’s Legal. You’ll find us online during business hours (9am-5pm, Monday to Friday). We will do our best to respond to your comments and queries within 3 business days. Sometimes we might take a little longer and ask for your patience. If you have feedback or would like to make a complaint about Women’s Legal Service Victoria visit our website: www.womenslegal.org.au/feedback-and-complaints/

11/02/2026

🚨Calling all lawyers! 🚨

Need to earn CPD points ahead of the March 31 deadline? Women’s Legal has CPD claimable training options for all lawyers.

Training is available in-person, online and on demand

See below for training dates, times and signup links 👇

👩‍⚖️Free training for private family lawyers
Family violence in family law matters: A knowledge and skills intensive for private practitioners

🔵 Dandenong
Tuesday 17 March
9am - 5pm
Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/family-violence-in-family-law-matters/courses/family-violence-in-family-law-matters---dandenong-17-march?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

🔵 Online
Day 1: Friday 20 March 9:00am -1:30pm
Day 2: Friday 27 March 9:00am - 1pm
Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/family-violence-in-family-law-matters/courses/family-violence-in-family-law-matters---online-march?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

🔵 Bendigo
Monday 30 March
9am - 5pm
Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/family-violence-in-family-law-matters/courses/family-violence-in-family-law-matters---bendigo-30-march?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

💻Online tailored training for community sector lawyers
🔵 Family Law and Separation
Tuesday 24 and Thursday 26 February
9:30am - 1:30pm both days
Online
Cost: $85.80
Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/safer-families-training/courses/family-law-and-separation--february-2026?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

🔵 Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Misidentification
Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 March
9:30am - 1:30pm both days
Online
Cost: $85.80
Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/safer-families-training/courses/identifying-and-responding-to-family-violence-misidentification---march-2026?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

🏛️Free on demand training for community and legal assistance sector lawyers
🔵 Family law self-paced training
16 family law courses designed to build the confidence and capability of community and legal assistance sector lawyers delivering family law assistance.

Sign up: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/flcb-elearn?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up

🌐Free on demand training for all lawyers
🔵 Respect and Equality in the Legal Sector

Designed for lawyers, people managers and leaders in the legal sector. These CPD claimable videos will enhance your understanding and help you to advance equality and respect in your workplace.

Watch the videos: https://www.womenslegal.org.au/respect-equality/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpd_round_up -videos

09/02/2026

Introducing our Jacinta Dwyer Research Intern – Elli Mulder!

Over the coming months Elli will investigate the experiences of women and non-binary people who have been wrongly identified as the aggressor of family violence. This project supports our ongoing work in addressing misidentification.

Misidentification can have significant impacts on victim-survivors’ interaction with various systems and services and their ability to access safety, housing and employment.

Elli’s research will consider recent improvements in practice and legislation and the potential for redressing or minimising harms, particularly for victim-survivors who are First Nations, migrant, racialised, LGBTQIA+ or who have disabilities or mental health issues.

By mapping the interaction between policing and various legal systems from the point of misidentification Elli hopes to identify key changes that can reduce misidentification and its consequences.

The Jacinta Dwyer Research Internship honours the legacy of Jacinta Dwyer, a compassionate lawyer, Magistrate and much-admired former staff member of Women’s Legal.

The internship gives students and early career professionals a unique opportunity to engage in real-world law reform work.

It is supported by the Victorian Magistrates’ Association.

06/02/2026

When victim‑survivors of family violence reach out for help, it should lead to safety — not punishment.

New laws passed in Victoria aim to reduce harm by requiring police and courts to consider the full pattern of family violence, not just a one‑off incident — helping prevent victim‑survivors being wrongly blamed.

This is a significant step toward safer legal system for women and non-binary people, especially those at risk of discrimination.

05/02/2026

🚨 New family law and family violence training for private practitioners in regional and suburban Victoria🚨

This interactive and highly practical training has been developed with private practitioners and is grounded in real private practice examples.

Over the course of the training, you will:

✔️Learn how to navigate family violence issues in line with current family law legislation and court expectations.

✔️Improve your skills to better identify and respond to family violence during the initial client engagement to support you to work confidently and safely with clients.

✔️Gain practical tools to minimise the impact of vicarious trauma.

This free training is available for private practitioners with more than 12-months experience providing family law services.

Training will be delivered in-person and online from March to May 2026. In-person training will be held in Sunshine, Dandenong, Bendigo and Geelong.

See the full list of dates and register here: https://bit.ly/4afE90H

04/02/2026

What a great way to start the day! We were treated to a beautiful February morning as we joined colleagues across the legal sector at the Victoria Law Foundation Legal Laneway Breakfast.

This annual event marks the start of the legal year and provides an opportunity to reflect on the leading issues of the months ahead.

Speeches from Victorian Attorney-General the Hon. sonyakilkennymp, Supreme Court of Victoria Hon. Chief Justice Richard Niall, Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner CEO and Commissioner Fiona McLeay, and Victoria Law Foundation Executive Director Lynne Haultain highlighted the importance of access to justice, the ethical use of artificial intelligence, lawyer wellbeing and dealing with vicarious trauma, diversity in the legal profession and new insights from the latest VLF PULS research as we head into the 2026 legal year.

Thank you to the Victoria Law Foundation for another great event!

26/01/2026

Are you a community lawyer who wants to better support your family law clients experiencing family violence? Sign up for our online legal training on Family Law and Separation 🚨

Across two half days you will learn:

✅ How family law and family violence laws intersect
✅ Identifying family law issues
✅ Making appropriate legal referrals
✅ Parenting arrangements, family dispute resolution and court processes
✅ Understanding property settlement

Online training dates:
📅 Day 1: Tuesday 24 February | 9:30am-1:30pm
📅 Day 2: Thursday 26 February | 9:30am-1.30pm

You can claim CPD points if you attend both days.

Register here: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/safer-families-training/courses/family-law-and-separation--february-2026

25/01/2026

January 26 is a day of mourning and protest for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is a reminder of the lasting impacts of colonisation, dispossession and invasion.

It’s a day to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, listen, and call for truth, justice and Treaty. We stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in their decades-long fight for justice, truth and self-determination.

As a specialist women’s legal service, we acknowledge the way Australia’s colonial legal and justice system continues to disproportionately harm Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and non-binary people.

We are committed to working in allyship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait organisations and communities to dismantle systems of marginalisation and discrimination.

Today, and every day, we pay our respects to the traditional owners of the lands that we work on, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation.
Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

One meaningful way to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is by paying the rent.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of organisations you can support. Add any you think people should donate to in the comments below 👇

⚫ Djirra provides holistic, culturally safe, legal and non-legal family violence support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who experience family violence – predominantly women.
Donate: https://djirra.org.au/donate-now/

🔴 Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service - VALS is a holistic, high quality, and trauma-informed legal service providing high quality, culturally capable legal and community justice services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Victoria.
Donate: https://www.vals.org.au/donate/

🟡 Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women's Service Inc provides culturally safe and holistic refuge accommodation and specialist family violence services to Aboriginal women and their children.
Donate: https://www.givenow.com.au/elizabethmorganhouse

⚫ Dhadjowa Foundation supports families affected by a Black death in custody. Donate: https://dhadjowa.com.au/pages/donate

23/01/2026

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, January 26 is a day of mourning and protest.

This is a time for allies to listen, show up, and pay the rent.

There are local events happening across Victoria that are open to everyone.

Find out more: https://antar.org.au/issues/survival-day/events-listing/

22/01/2026

Today is a National Day of Mourning to honour the victims and the community impacted by the Bondi terrorist attack.

Like many people here and around the world, we were heartbroken by the antisemitic violence in Bondi late last year. Our thoughts remain with the victims, their families and the Jewish community affected by this attack.

Everyone deserves safety and a life free from violence.

We will always advocate for a world where every person is safe and can live free from violence, no matter who they are, where they were born, who they love or what religion they practice.

At 7:01 pm AEDT, we will join people across the country coming together in unity to light a candle and observe one minute of silence.

21/01/2026

If reporting systems don’t feel safe, trusted or effective, harm stays hidden and prevention fails.

Working Women's Centre Victoria have developed leadership training and resources to help workplaces create safe, accessible and trusted reporting pathways, so people feel supported to speak up and organisations can prevent harm before it escalates.

Because reporting should lead to safety, accountability and change - not further harm.

Find out more: https://wwcvic.org.au/education-and-training/

19/01/2026

📚 Training: Identifying Critical Legal Issues for Family Violence

This training is for social workers and other community services professionals who may work with people experiencing family violence.

Across two half-day, online session you’ll learn:

🟣How to identify critical legal issues relating to family violence
🟣How to provide essential legal information to victim survivors of family violence, including referrals
🟣The role of the lawyer, and how to work with them!

Online training dates:
📅 Day 1: Wednesday 18 February | 9:30am-2:00pm
📅 Day 2: Thursday 19 February | 9:30am-2:00pm

Delivered by expert trainers at Women’s Legal Service Victoria.

Places are limited.

👉 Register now: https://learning.womenslegal.org.au/browse/community-sector-training/courses/identifying-critical-legal-issues-for-family-violence---february-2026

15/01/2026

We’re looking for our next Director, Legal Services.

Lead a passionate, multidisciplinary team dedicated to supporting women and non-binary people across Victoria who are experiencing family and sexual violence.

In this pivotal role, you will ensure the delivery of high‑quality and trauma‑informed legal services that not only meet immediate needs but also drive systemic impact.

We’re looking for a strategic leader who combines legal expertise with a commitment to gender equity and justice.

Apply today and help us create a safer and fairer future: www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/innov8360/director-legal-services-womens-legal-service-victoria

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61386220666

Website

http://www.womenslegal.org.au/

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