You can provide much-needed assistance to survivors
Family court support work – both formal and informal – developed largely as a response to the needs of intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, as identified by frontline counsellors and advocates working with those survivors.
As we explore on this website, the challenges of the family court system are many and significant for those who have left relationships in which they were subjected to abuse.
Furthermore, many women find themselves navigating the system with no legal representation. Even those who have a lawyer may not have one who understands IPV in the context of family law and court.
Family court support, when provided by a well-trained advocate who brings an intersectional feminist understanding to the work, can provide much-needed assistance to survivors.
Activities of a family court support advocate
An advocate providing family court support can:
- Ensure the woman has basic information about the relevant laws and court process
- Engage in safety planning with her
- Assist her in gathering evidence of abuse
- Support her in completing court documents
- Provide emotional assistance
- Help her find a lawyer or apply for legal aid
- Help her prepare for meetings with her lawyer
- Attend lawyer meetings and court appearances with her
- Debrief after meetings and court appearances
- Make referrals for her to other services
- Case manage her family law case
To do family court support work well you need to have a good understanding of what intimate partner abuse is.