Help thousands more people in regional Victoria get family violence legal support

This state election, Women’s Legal Service Victoria is calling on all political parties to fund the Emerging Lawyers Program to get more family violence legal help into regional Victoria. 

The Emerging Lawyers Program trains and supports early-career lawyers to deliver legal help to people experiencing family violence in regional and outer-metropolitan communities that need it the most. 

We’re calling on every political party to commit to $17.1 million to deliver four rounds of the program which will:

• provide legal assistance to more than 12,000 Victorians 
• centrally fund and train 60 Emerging Lawyers
• expand free family violence and family law assistance across Victoria
• build a stronger and more sustainable regional legal workforce

Legal support is critical for people’s recovery from family violence. It helps victim-survivors stay safe, protect their children, secure their financial future and prevent abuse from continuing through family law, court and administrative systems. 

Yet research from the Victoria Law Foundation shows that most victim-survivors are not receiving the legal support they need, especially in rural and regional communities in Victoria where  the prevalence of family-related legal problems is double than in major cities. 

The Emerging Lawyers Program is a proven solution to this problem. A review of the the Emerging Lawyers Program in 2024-25 found Emerging Lawyers supported more than 3,000 Victorians across 14 communities. 

Importantly, nearly 80% of the Emerging Lawyers continued working in community legal centres after the 18-month program ended, helping build a sustainable workforce in the communities that need it most.

Women’s Legal’s CEO Claudia Fatone said the integrated legal service is talking to local politicians, candidates in the seats of Dandenong, Eildon, Morwell, Benambra and South-West Coast to secure the four more rounds of the Emerging Lawyers Program. 

“The Emerging Lawyers Program both increases access to legal help now and strengthens the future family violence workforce in regional Victoria,” Ms Fatone said. 

“Legal help is not just about resolving disputes. It helps victim-survivors stay safe, protect their children, secure their finances and prevent abuse from continuing after separation.

“Victim-survivors should not be left without support simply because there aren't enough lawyers available. This election, we are calling on all political parties to back a proven solution that will expand access to justice and help more Victorians live free from violence."