I am pleased to present the second edition of Legal Aid Queensland’s Best Practice Guidelines Framework for working with clients who have been affected by domestic and family violence.
The guidelines were developed by Women’s Legal Aid in 2000, as part of the Violence Against Women Strategy, to assist lawyers, conference chairs, family report writers and client information offi cers to provide a high quality and consistent service to clients who have been affected by domestic and family violence.
It is concerning to see the number of people before our courts whose lives have been affected by violence. Legal Aid Queensland takes this issue seriously and recognises that clients have different needs and will require a variety of responses.
The guidelines have been updated to refl ect current best practice and are provided in a practical, easy-to-use format.
I encourage everyone who assists people who have been affected by violence to make these guidelines part of their every-day work practices.
Jenny Hardy
Chief Executive Officer