At Emerge, we understand that escaping family violence is only part of the journey.
For many women entering refuge, the path forward is shaped not only by their immediate safety — but by the complex legal challenges they face.
Our Legal Health at Refuge program was designed to meet this reality.
The hidden weight of legal complexity
Our data shows that the average woman arriving atrefuge is managing 4.2 concurrent legal issues.
These can include intervention orders, family court matters, tenancy disputes, fines, and navigating Victims of Crime processes —often all at once.
Navigating these systems alone can be overwhelming. Delays in accessing the right legal support can lead to poorer outcomes, prolong uncertainty, and directly impact recovery.
A place-based, integrated solution
In 2025, Emerge commenced a three-year partnership with Peninsula Community Legal Centre, funded by Kingston Council, to embed legal support directly within the refuge environment.
This place-based model ensures that women can access legal advice where they already feel safe — removing barriers, reducing stress, and enabling timely support.
Through the program, experienced duty lawyers:
- Help women understand their legal issues and options
- Provide direct legal services where appropriate
- Connect clients to specialist legal supports
- Ensure every woman has access to accurate, empowering legal information
It’s a simple yet powerful shift — integratinglegal health into the broader recovery journey.
Why it matters
Legal challenges don’t sit on the sidelines — they shape what happens next.
Without the right support, they can affect housing stability, financial security, parenting arrangements and long-term safety.
By embedding legal expertise within refuge, we’reable to:
- Reduce overwhelm during a critical time
- Improve access to justice
- Support stronger, more informed decision-making
- Enable safer, more stable pathways forward
Real impact: a pathway to safety
One woman entering refuge sought help navigating complex family law arrangements for her four children. She arrived without a Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO), and her existing parenting orders raised concerns about the children’s safety.
Unsure of her rights and overwhelmed by the legal system, she needed urgent support.
Through the Legal Health at Refuge program, she wassupported to:
- Make a police report
- Obtain protection through an FVIO
- Understand her legal options
- Access a referral to vary parenting orders through the Family Court
Having access to legal support onsite meant she received timely advice, appropriate referrals, and the clarity needed to make decisions that prioritised the safety of her family.
A model for change
Legal Health at Refuge is an effective, innovative intervention that ensures survivors are not navigating complex legal systems alone.
It reflects a broader shift toward integrated,trauma-informed support — where legal wellbeing is recognised as essential torecovery.
We are deeply grateful to Peninsula Community Legal Centre and Kingston Council for their partnership and encouraged to see this model being adopted more broadly across the sector.