There are a number of ways you may come into contact with the legal system when you have experienced sexual assault, domestic or family violence. This page contains links to organisations that provide legal information, resources and support wherever you are in Australia, free of charge.
The first section has links to national, state and territory legal services as well as useful online resources. In each section you will also find information on Magistrates' or Local Courts, which handle protection order applications and other domestic or family violence matters. For criminal matters, including sexual assault, or matters involving children you would need to attend a different court. Contact a legal service for further support and information or advice on which court you need to go.
In addition to the legal services listed on this page, sexual assault support or counselling services can also provide information and support for victims of rape and sexual assault. Support services may provide information on how to report the crime to police, have a Forensic Medical Examination and how to access emergency contraception. These services may also be able to provide ongoing counselling as well as support when reporting to police or being a witness in court.
The Service directory provides links to support and counselling services in your area.
In case of immediate danger call 000 for police assistance.
To make emergency calls using TTY dial 133 667 or find out more about accessibility options.
For information, referral and counselling contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or through online chat. Our service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Some of the courts and legal services listed on this page also have videos that support people experiencing violence and abuse. These include videos about what to expect if you go to court, how to apply for an intervention order and some of the laws relating to domestic and family violence. As laws are slightly different in each state and territory it's important to use these videos as a guide only and to seek legal advice before making any important decisions.
Some people experiencing violence choose to apply to the courts for a protection order. Protection orders are known by different names in each state and territory in Australia and the process of applying for one is also different.
The person applying for a protection order can request different conditions, depending on their own circumstances. Conditions are the things that the person using violence is not allowed to do to the person making the request.
This might include things like:
A protection order is not a criminal charge, but it is against the law to break a protection order by doing any of the things listed in it.
If you would like to know how to apply for a protection order you can speak with a legal service that offers free advice. These services are listed in our Service directory and include organisations like Women's Legal Service or Legal Aid. In most cases, you can go to the police for a protection order or apply directly to the courts.
You may be worried about the way an abusive person will respond to a protection order and if that will put you at risk of more violence. For many reasons, some people also may not want to call the police if an order is broken. These are things that you can talk to support services about before you decide to take out an order. It is important to speak to someone who knows about protection orders in your state or territory before you make a decision to apply for one.