Demand is expected to soar further with the introduction of coercive control laws later this year
Legal Aid NSW has reported a rise in demand for assistance on domestic violence concerns, particularly in securing Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs).
The organisation anticipates further increases in demand with the upcoming introduction of coercive control legislation.
According to Legal Aid NSW’s Domestic Violence Unit (DVU), the volume of calls to its hotline increased by 36% over the last two years. Meanwhile, provision of court-based duty lawyer services soared by 61%; in particular, provision of duty lawyer services for ADVOs ticked up by 25%.
The organisation’s family law division saw greater demand across the Family Advocacy and Support Service and Family Law Service for Aboriginal Communities groups, among others.
“Twenty-five women dying to domestic violence so far this year is an epidemic which is preventable, including by having early access to legal advice to help clients to stay safe. A lawyer can help seek changes to an ADVO to better protect the victim or their children, or to connect them with a case worker for safety planning”, said Alexandra Colquhoun, executive director of family law at Legal Aid NSW. “Most people require help taking out or varying an ADVO to ensure that it keeps them safe. In the past year alone, there have been more than 22,500 breaches of AVOs, so we stand ready to help women who may need to vary or add conditions, such as no contact”.
She explained that it was important for regional residents to be aware of available assistance, particularly with the uptick in domestic violence cases in regional NSW.
“We expect demand to grow once the new laws criminalising coercive control come into effect in July this year. This will likely see more victim-survivors seeking legal advice about whether their circumstances may constitute coercive control”, Colquhoun said.
The DVU, established in 2015 as part of a $100m Women’s Safety Package, consists of lawyers, domestic violence case workers, mental health professionals, and financial counsellors. The unit is being supported by the Commonwealth Government through the National Legal Assistance Partnership until mid-2025.
