Providing legal help to Queenslanders affected by domestic and family violence
Domestic and family violence duty lawyer service expands statewide
As part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to addressing domestic and family violence in the community,
Legal Aid Queensland will receive an extra $1.1 million in funding in 2015–16 to expand its domestic and family
violence duty lawyer services statewide.
The establishment of a statewide court-based duty lawyer service for domestic and family violence matters was one
of the recommendations of the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland, chaired by the
Honourable Quentin Bryce AD, CVO, former Governor-General of Australia.
We have been providing domestic and family violence duty lawyer services in Brisbane, Richlands and Beenleigh
for some time. Our domestic violence duty lawyer service at Southport began in 2014.
From October 2015, the service will be expanded to Caboolture, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Maroochydore, Bundaberg,
Rockhampton, Mackay, Mount Isa, Townsville and Cairns.
Duty lawyers provide free legal information and advice to applicants and respondents in domestic and family violence
matters, help people fill out forms and documents needed for that day in court and also talk to the clients about their
eligibility for ongoing legal representation from Legal Aid Queensland.
Having lawyers available to provide advice to people about their domestic violence issues and related family law
issues helps them to be properly informed before going into court and to feel more confident negotiating the legal
process and more accepting of the outcomes.
The expanded service will be delivered by in-house Legal Aid Queensland lawyers, private law firms that do legal aid
work and community legal centres. The service will operate one day a week in each location except Southport and
Beenleigh, which sit more frequently.
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