Key Points
- Women face different legal challenges to men including workplace discrimination, family violence and financial inequality.
- Women’s legal services prioritise safety and confidentiality.
- Free services are available to eligible women nationwide.
- Specialised services can assist women from migrant and refugee backgrounds and First Nations women.
- Do women need specific legal support?
- Who can help with family violence?
- Who can help with workplace rights?
- Are there dedicated legal services for migrant and refugee women?
- Can I receive language support?
- Contacts to get you started
It’s difficult for most people to navigate Australia’s legal system. For women, the challenges are amplified. Not only are women more likely to require legal support, but they face additional barriers to accessing it.
To address these challenges, specialised women’s legal services ensure that women can access support when they need it most.
Do women need specific legal support?
Adrianne Walters, Executive Director of Women’s Legal Services Australia, says women face different legal problems to men.
“And that's because of the violence and discrimination we're more likely to experience in our lives. So women experience domestic, family and sexual violence at higher rates. We're more likely to be primary carers of children. We earn less, and we're more likely to have less assets.”
If you have a legal problem and can't afford a lawyer, the Women’s Legal Service in your state or territory provides trauma-informed, gender-focused services.
They’ll also direct you to other services if they can’t assist.
Who can help with family violence?
The Women’s Legal Service offers appointments and can arrange for a lawyer to attend court with you for matters such as family violence orders and family law disputes. Women in remote areas can access online assistance.
The Service is free and ensures safe and confidential support for a range of issues.
“Generally we specialise in family law problems, family violence, responding to sexual violence and child protection,” Ms Walters explains. “But a lot of our services also have specialist immigration programs.”
We're helping women on temporary visas who are trying to escape violence, to navigate really complex immigration, family law, family violence systems.Adrianne Walters
Many support workers can also offer specialist First Nations services and assistance for employment issues.
Who can help with workplace rights?
Navigating employment rights can feel like a legal minefield when something goes wrong at work, but there are dedicated services designed to support women in the workplace.
Working Women's Centres operate across Australia, offering free and confidential legal advice. If you’re experiencing workplace sexual harassment, discrimination or unfair dismissal, your local WWC is there to help you understand your rights and options.
Aira Firdaus, Advocacy and Policy Officer with Working Women's Centre Australia, says gendered responses are essential as women have unique workplace experiences.
“The purpose of Working Women’s Centres is to act as a safety net for non-unionised women and non-binary workers who might not have had the opportunity to join their union and receive legal advice.”
Employment issues can become more complicated when you’re a migrant, a refugee or a First Nations worker, she says.
“Many of the women that come through the centres come from very low-paid, precarious industries and non-unionised workplaces. The issues that women talk to us about are very complex in that they are not standalone issues.”
The same woman who comes to our centre who experiences sexual harassment, may have also been dismissed or sacked for speaking up about the issue, or they may have also experienced wage theft.Aira Firdaus
Your local WWC can also link you to other supports such as housing and social services.
Are there dedicated legal services for migrant and refugee women?
Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds often face extra hurdles when trying to access help with migration insecurity, financial pressure or family violence.
Ms Walters says there are Women's Legal Service centres across Australia that can navigate the migration system.
“They really focus on working with women on temporary visas who are experiencing violence and need help to navigate the visa system alongside family law and other legal matters, so that they can leave a violent relationship safely.”
The inTouch Women’s Legal Centre is funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian governments. It’s a community legal service that specifically supports migrant and refugee women living in Victoria.
“A significant barrier for migrant and refugee women is the lack of understanding of the Australian legal system and how our government agencies and systems work,” Principal Lawyer Ajsela Siskovic says.
“And this is not surprising given that a third of our clients have been in the country for less than five years.”
Add to this the language barrier, and finding legal representation becomes even harder, resulting in poor outcomes for women and their children.
inTouch Women’s Legal Centre provides free in-language, culturally appropriate legal advice and representation where family violence, family law and migration intersect, Ms Siskovic says.
“We're one of the first multidisciplinary practices in Australia to provide this type of inclusive service within a family violence response.”
If you live in Victoria, contact inTouch to see if you’re eligible for assistance.
Can I receive language support?
Ms Walters says lawyers at Women’s Legal Services are also equipped to support women who face language barriers.
“You can request an interpreter to help with your appointment or to help you at court. And if you're legally aided or don't have the income for an interpreter, there are often ways that you can access that service for free.”
Contacts to get you started
Women's Legal Services (state or territory)
Working Women's Centre Australia (state or territory) or phone the listed 1800 number
inTouch Women’s Legal Centre (Victoria only) or phone 1800 755 988
Regional and remote areas
Support is available in person, online or by phone through Community Legal Centres or the Legal Aid commissions listed below:
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