Complaints & Help – Family and Domestic Violence

Reporting to Police

If you are in immediate danger, Phone: 000 for assistance

If there is no immediate emergency and the crime is not happening now, or the incident is not life threatening, or there is little likelihood of the suspected offenders still being in the area.

Phone: Policelink on 131 444 for non-urgent assistance 24 hrs/7 days. Professionally trained QPS Client Service Officers will respond to your call from the purpose built Policelink Contact Centre in south-east Queensland.

Government Support in Domestic Violence Situations

One Stop – Queensland Government Portal – A single point of entry for all Queensland family and domestic violence information and support is available online. To go to the website click here.

Australian Federal Government Domestic Violence Information – The Government take Domestic violence very seriously and have many resources available. To see nationally available information click here.

The Government can support you if you’re in, have left, or are preparing to leave a situation where you’re affected by family and domestic violence. They provide payments, social work counselling and third party referrals. They can check if you’re eligible for payments and services which may include:

income support payments
Crisis Payment
exemptions from seeking employment, or
collecting child support

They may be able to help if:

someone has been removed from your home, or you have had to move house due to violence
you’re in financial hardship because of the situation
you’re under 22 years of age and can’t live at home due to violence
you can’t look for work because of illness, permanent or temporary injury, or other issues related to experiencing violence
you have recently moved to Australia and can’t be supported due to the situation
applying for or collecting child support would put you or your family’s safety at risk, or
another adult or child needs to be removed from or added to a Medicare card

The Government take Domestic violence very seriously and have many resources available. Click here to see Government Resources for Help

Social workers offer counselling, support and information. Social workers can also direct you to other support and services to assist you. Click here to view their support services.

Other Domestic Violence Help Organisations

1800RESPECTIs a national sexual assault, and domestic family violence counselling service. Counsellors can provide information and referrals to support services.

Phone: 1800 737 732
Website: www.1800respect.org.au (This website has a safety feature, where is has an automatic close option in the top right hand side of each page so you can quickly exit out of the website if someone is coming. It will then automatically pop up the BOM weather website).

DV Connect Provides counselling and support to parties in domestic violence.

Phone: 1800 811 811
Website: www.dvconnect.org

Queensland Domestic Violence Link (QDVL) Is an online service which provides links to all the available support services in your area.

Website: www.qlddomesticviolencelink.org.au

Sexual Assault Helpline Provides counselling and advice to victims of sexual assault.

Phone: 1800 010 120

Womensline This helpline provides counselling, advice, transport and emergency accommodation to women who are victims of domestic violence.

Phone: 1800 811 811

Relationships Australia offer a comprehensive range of counselling and group support services for people affected by domestic and family violence and for those who use power and control within their families. The programs are designed for people experiencing family violence – they support victims in achieving an acceptable level of safety, whether that be whilst remaining in the current relationship or leaving. They also support people who use power and control to change their behaviours. The programs offered include:

Counselling and support for victims
Men’s perpetrator behaviours change
Children’s domestic and family violence counselling

Phone: 1300 364 277 (to arrange a face-to-face interview with a family violence prevention worker, or they will refer you to the most suitable service.)

Website: www.raq.org.au

Victim Assist Qld If you have suffered a physical or psychological injury as a result of an act of violence you may be entitled to counselling or some type of financial payment from part of the Victim Assist Qld Department of Justice and Attorney-General Qld.

Phone: 1300 546 587
Website: www.justice.qld.gov.au

Mensline Australia is the national telephone and online support, information and referral service for men with family and relationship concerns. The service is available anywhere in Australia and is staffed by professional counsellors, experienced in men’s issues.

Phone: 1300 789 978 (phoneline operates 24 hours a day)

Website: www.mensline.org.au

Mensline DV Connect a helpline for men who are either perpetrators or victims of domestic violence.

Phone: 1800 600 636 (9am – midnight / 7 days)

Website: www.dvconnect.org.au/mensline

WWILD offers support for people with intellectual or learning disabilities who are at risk, or have experienced sexual abuse, or have been victims of crime or exploitation.

Phone: (07) 3262 9877

Website: www.wwild.org.au

Legal Help

You may need legal advice if:

you or your children are at risk of domestic or family violence or abuse
you need help to work out a plan to leave a relationship safely
you want to apply for a domestic violence order
someone has applied for a domestic violence order against you
you have been issued with a police protection notice
police have made an application for a domestic violence order against you or your partner
you want to change a domestic violence order
you had to leave your home because of violence but your name is still on the lease
you had an order interstate or overseas and want to register it in Queensland
you have been asked to attend family dispute resolution but have concerns for your safety.

The following organisations may be able to give legal advice:

Legal Aid Queensland may provide legal advice and help on family and domestic violence.

Phone: 1300 65 11 88
Website: www.legalaid.qld.gov.au

Direct Information Page: Domestic Violence Information from Legal Aid

Womens Legal Service give free legal advice to women on areas of law including domestic violence and family law.

Phone: 1800 957 957

Website: www.wlsq.org.au

Community Legal Centers give legal advice on a range of topics. They have offices all around Qld. Contact them to find out if they can help with your matter.

Phone: (07) 3392 0092

Website: www.communitylegalqld.org.au

Cairns Community Legal centre (CCLC) – Offer a Domestic and Family Violence Duty Lawyer Service in partnership with North Queensland Womens Legal Service.

The CCLC and NQWLS are available at the Magistrates Court in Cairns each Thursday, to provide legal advice and representation to parties in DV matters. The NQWLS is available to women, and the CCLC is available to all men, both aggrieved and respondents. The CCLC is also in some cases available to women, for example where both parties to a DV matter are women.

To access the Domestic & Family Violence Duty Lawyer Service each Thursday at the Magistrates Court in Cairns, simply approach the relevant organisation on the day. No appointment is necessary. The Cairns Community Legal Centre also provides legal advice in relation to other matters as usual through its office. Legal advice is provided by appointment.

Where necessary, by reason of distance or otherwise, telephone advice may also be provided.

Phone: (07) 4031 7688 or 1800 062 608

Website: http://www.cclc.org.au/our-services/domestic-family-violence-duty-lawyer-service

Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service – Deliver culturally appropriate free legal services, counselling, welfare, support, advocacy and community education relating to legal / court representation, domestic and family violence, family law, sexual assault

Phone: 1800 887 700

Website: Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Services (QIFVLS)

Qld Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service (QIFVLS)

Provides free legal advice, support and representation on matters of domestic violence, sexual assault, and minor civil law matters.

Phone: 1800 887 700
Website: www.qifvls.com.au

Queensland Law Society

Can refer you to a specialist private lawyer for representation.

Phone: 1300 367 757

Website: www.qls.com.au

Complaints about Lawyers in Domestic Violence Disputes

To complain about the conduct of a lawyer, you can contact the Legal Services Commission. To make the complaint, follow the instructions included on the website to download the form and email the completed form to:

Email: lsc@lsc.qld.gov.au
Website: https://www.lsc.qld.gov.au/complaints/how-to-make-a-complaint