Women's Legal Service Victoria | LinkedIn (original) (raw)

Legal Services

Melbourne, Victoria 11,126 followers

Advocating for the rights of women and their children to live free from violence

Discover all 76 employees

About us

Women's Legal Service Victoria is a not for profit organisation which has been providing free legal services to women since 1982. We work with and for women experiencing particular disadvantage to address legal issues arising from relationship breakdown or violence. We provide legal advice and representation to women experiencing disadvantage. We advocate for law and policy that respects and promotes the rights of women. We build the capacity of other professionals and the community to identify and respond appropriately to legal need. We exist to help build a gender equitable country. Our unique contribution to this vision, as lawyers, advocates and educators, is to work alongside women experiencing disadvantage to promote their rights to live free from violence and make informed choices about their relationships. We are funded by the Indigenous Justice and Legal Assistance Division, Attorney General’s Department, Canberra and Victoria Legal Aid.

Industry

Legal Services

Company size

51-200 employees

Headquarters

Melbourne, Victoria

Type

Nonprofit

Founded

1982

Specialties

family law, family violence law, child protection, victims of crime assistance, legal training and education, and law reform

Locations

Employees at Women's Legal Service Victoria

Updates

If you have been impacted by recent bushfires in Victoria and are experiencing family violence we can give legal help. Climate emergencies can have significant legal impacts, particularly if you’re experiencing family violence. Family violence may escalate during or after environmental disasters like bushfires. You, or your client, might… 🛑 need to leave the area you live in and have questions about parenting arrangements 🛑 have a temporary regional work visa but no longer be able to work for your employer or meet other visa conditions 🛑 be experiencing financial abuse and lost property that is subject to a loan To get support now, call 1800 133 302. Ask to speak with our intake worker because you or the woman you are working with is impacted.#FamilyViolence #NaturalDisasters #VictoriaBushfires #LegalHelp #LegalHelpBushfires
A new platform has launched today for victims of crime to get financial help to support their recovery. It’s called the Financial Assistance Scheme. It’s replacing an old scheme, and there are some key changes to know about: 1. Adult victims will now have 3 years, rather than 2 years, to apply for financial help. This is since the date of the crime. 2. If the crime was a sexual offence or related to family violence, victims will now have 10 years since the crime to apply. 3. In some cases, Special Financial Assistance has doubled for victims. There is help possibly up to 20k−20k-20k−25k. This is in addition to other types of expenses, such as counselling, medical and safety-related costs. 4. Children who experienced family violence were previously known as secondary victims. Now they are primary victims. This means their financial help can be higher. 5. The scheme includes financial help for image based sexual offences. This is things like deep fakes and sharing explicit material online. 6. The new online portal means victim-survivors will be able to see updates on the status of their matter. 7. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants there’s a new dedicated phone line and people to help. 8. You can apply yourself or get help from a lawyer. And lawyers can apply for clients. 9. Court hearings have now been removed from the process. This should hopefully make it less traumatic and daunting for victim-survivors. Instead, applicants have the option of attending what’s known as a Victim Recognition Meeting. If you’re a victim of a crime, you can apply for financial help directly. Or you can also have a lawyer help you apply. To learn about the scheme, see if you are eligible, and to apply, go here: https://lnkd.in/gT7iJBGrYou can also call the Victims Legal Service Helpline on 1800 531 566 between 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. You may have made an application under the old scheme, called the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT). This is fine. VOCAT will continue to work on existing applications. There is more on the website about the change if you have a current application.
11,126 followers
4d Edited
Take a trip down memory lane with photos from 40 years of Women’s Legal. As part of our recent history project, we’ve been recording our past with History At Work. In making this public record, we received many photos from the last 40 years. Each captures our volunteers, staff and supporters as they champion women's rights. As our CEO Claudia Fatone sums up: “Women’s Legal has powerfully impacted the legal landscape in Victoria." Founded in the 1970s by law students wanting to improve legal help for women, today we support thousands of women each year. Find out more about our history project: https://lnkd.in/gNSAkej3
- +4
11,126 followers
4d Edited
Last week we said goodbye to Julia Messina who finished her 4-month social work student placement at Women's Legal. During her time at Women’s Julia has contributed to the social work team and organisational culture. Julia provided us with opportunities to learn and grow and stay current in our practice knowledge, and allowed us to mentor a student as she prepares to enter the workforce. Before finishing up Julia said, “I am so grateful for the opportunity to do my placement at Women’s Legal. I have been inspired by the workers around me who have taught me to practice social work in an intersectional feminist and trauma-informed way. I have learned the importance of empathy, empowerment, and following the clients' lead, and have learned to apply these principles through support and advocacy with clients to achieve physical and psychological safety.” We wish you all the best as you start work as a family violence social worker.
Today is the start of Trans Awareness Week, celebrating trans pride and elevating the voices and stories of the trans community. 🏳️⚧️ Trans people have the right to feel safe and included in our community. Transphobia and other forms of discrimination drive violence against trans women. We must all challenge discrimination, violence, and harassment when we see it. Find out more about Trans Awareness Week here: https://lnkd.in/g2gi2-6s #Minus18Youth #TransAwarenessWeek
Earlier this year, “Violence against women was described as an ‘epidemic’ and ‘national crisis.’” As SBS News reports, “The topic dominated media and political discussions across the country for weeks. Many hoped the increased attention would lead to action and improve outcomes.” Yet Counting Dead Women has recorded 62 women violently killed in 2024. And that’s with seven weeks remaining until the end of the year. That's an average of 1.37 per week, up from last year's average of 1.2. As Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch, said: “This is a tragedy, and our national shame.” It is critical that governments give the necessary funding to meet the scale of crisis of violence against women. Women’s legal services are central to helping women experiencing violence find safety and get help. Our lawyers, social workers and financial counsellors work with women to make sure they have what they need to make decisions for themselves and their children. With proper resourcing and government action, women can live in communities that are free from violence. Read the full SBS article here: https://lnkd.in/ghBwRUbt
New data shows that while some improvement has been made to prevent sexual harassment in workplaces, policy is only a first step towards bigger cultural change.
1 in 4 workplaces are not keeping track of sexual harassment. Even though 99% of workplaces have a sexual harassment policy. This data comes from a new report by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. It’s the first look at how workplaces have used sexual harassment policies since the 2020 Respect@Work Report – which showed how common sexual harassment is in workplaces. While the findings show some progress, it makes clear that policy is only a first step for bigger change. “Long-term culture change within organisations also requires employees and company leaders to know the policy, understand what’s in it and the part they play in its implementation.” Read the findings here: https://lnkd.in/gCxQZkaQIf you’ve been harassed at work, we can help. The Working Women’s Centre Victoria has a team of specialist lawyers to provide free, confidential legal help for women working across Victoria. www.wwcvic.org.au1800 WWC VIC (1800 992 842), Mon-Fri 9am-3pm
From next week, victims of crime seeking financial help will be able to access a new online scheme. Known as the Financial Assistance Scheme, this new site is replacing the current Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT). Through the scheme, victims can apply for financial help through a new online platform. Until the online scheme opens on 18 November, you can continue to make applications for financial help through VOCAT. Find out more about the online scheme here: https://lnkd.in/gT7iJBGr
Join us in the Walk Against Family Violence in Melbourne CBD on Friday 22 November. Walk toward a world free of family violence, where women are safe and respected 🌏🧡 By joining the Walk you can take action to prevent violence against women and stand in solidarity with victim-survivors. It starts at 11am at Birrarung Marr (Upper Terrace), ending at Treasury Gardens where there will be food trucks, entertainment and market stalls. People of all genders are welcome. For more info on the Walk head here: https://lnkd.in/gubEi-45 #WAFV2024 #WhyWeWalk
Over the weekend two women were killed as a result of family violence. An Australian woman is killed every six days by her partner, ex-partner or family member, reports The Age – yet it’s likely there are hundreds of family violence-related deaths not being counted. A recent news report explains how women who experience relentless family violence have taken their own lives – yet their deaths are counted as suicides, not as family violence murders. The Age and 60 Minutes show cases where women’s deaths are not investigated properly, and family violence isn’t considered. The death is then ruled as a suicide. We know that in Australia, intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 25 to 44 than any other preventable risk factor. These numbers must change. We will continue to help women experiencing family violence find safety and get legal help. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/g-MSxdxFIf you need immediate family violence support call Safe Steps 1800 015 188 Crisis support can be found at Lifeline 13 11 14 and lifeline.org.auAnd Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 and beyondblue.org.au

Join now to see what you are missing

Join now

Women's Legal Service Victoria | LinkedIn (original) (raw)

Legal Services

Melbourne, Victoria 11,126 followers

Advocating for the rights of women and their children to live free from violence

About us

Locations

Employees at Women's Legal Service Victoria

Updates

Join now to see what you are missing

Similar pages

Browse jobs