More than half the Australians who responded to a parliamentary call for experiences of family violence say they felt unsafe when they went to court.
Fifty seven per cent of the more than 3800 respondents to the questionnaire created by a committee looking into a better family law system reported feeling unsafe during court appearances.
More than 80 per cent of respondents said they had been the target of family violence.
Many told of how the court they attended had no separate facilities for victims and how they felt unsafe.
Other anonymous responses revealed how women had to queue with their children in the same entrance as the perpetrator.
"Interacting with my ex-partner in court triggered post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms for me, there should be as minimal contact as possible," was another of the responses released by the committee.
Other findings from the survey include:
* 78 per cent were not offered a safety plan regarding their court appearance.
* Almost 50 per cent of respondents had legal proceedings in more than one court.
* Of those, 82 per cent felt unsatisfied with the coordination between courts.
* Almost 70 per cent of respondents were women.
Committee chair and Liberal MP Sarah Henderson said they wanted to give people a voice.
"It is of course a great tragedy that so many Australians have experienced family violence," she said on Monday.
The next hearing will be held on Tuesday.
National domestic violence helpline: 1800 737 732 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call triple-zero.
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