000			04511nab a22003497a 4500
999			_c7864 _d7864
005			20250625151624.0
008			221018s2019 ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
022			_a1834-7266
040			_aAFVC
100			_aCoumarelos, Christine _97473
245			_aQuantifying the legal and broader life impacts of domestic and family violence _cChristine Coumarelos
260			_aSydney, NSW : _bLaw and Justice Foundation, _c2019
300			_aelectronic document (40 pages) ; PDF file
500			_aJustice Issues, no. 32, June 2019
520			_aThe last decade has seen increased policy reform in Australia to reduce domestic and family violence (DFV) and provide appropriate services for victims, who are predominantly women and their children. This paper provides the first quantitative assessment based on representative Australian population data of the legal and related problems that often coincide with DFV. Regression and bivariate analyses of the Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey underlined the serious nature of DFV victimisation and revealed the gamut of severe legal problems and adverse life impacts that often result from, or accompany, DFV. Survey respondents who had experienced DFV in the previous 12 months (‘DFV respondents’) were 10 times more likely than others to experience other legal problems, including a wide range of family, civil and criminal law issues. Their odds of experiencing family law problems were especially elevated – a massive 16 times higher than for other respondents. They were also at least three times more likely to experience 10 of the other 11 legal problem types examined, including criminal law problems and civil law problems related to employment, financial, government payment, health, housing, personal injury and rights issues. Not only was DFV linked to a myriad of legal problems, but these legal problems were also more severe with greater adverse impacts on broad life circumstances. Four in five DFV respondents rated at least one of their legal problems as having a ‘severe’ impact on their everyday life, compared to fewer than one-quarter of others. Their legal problems were more likely to lead to stress-related illness, physical ill health, relationship breakdown, loss of income or financial strain, and moving home. They were more likely to require assistance from professionals, particularly lawyers and health and welfare professionals, and to require recourse to formal legal processes to achieve resolution. These findings demonstrating the ‘compounding effect’ of DFV victimisation on legal and human service needs, together with the relatively disadvantaged profile of people experiencing DFV, reinforce the importance of accessible public legal assistance services for DFV remaining a government policy priority. Holistic, joined-up legal and broader human services are often necessary to address the complex legal and related needs of people experiencing DFV. The results highlight the importance of ongoing funding to support initiatives that provide wrap-around assistance for DFV such as Domestic Violence Units (DVUs) and the Family Advocacy Support Services (FASS) scheme in the Local and Family Courts, as well as initiatives that link victims to legal and human services outside the court system. In addition, they indicate the potential utility of further expanding joined-up DFV services to better address the wide range of criminal and civil law problems, as well as family law problems, that are often tied up with DFV, which often span across Commonwealth and state/territory jurisdictions. (Author's abstract). Record #7864
650			_aDOMESTIC VIOLENCE _9203
650			_aECONOMIC ASPECTS _9213
650			_aFAMILY LAW _9244
650			_aFAMILY VIOLENCE _9252
650			_aINTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE _9431
650			_aJUSTICE _9333
650			_aSURVEYS _9592
650		4	_aVICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE _9624
651			_aINTERNATIONAL _93624
651		4	_aAUSTRALIA _92597
773	0	3	_tJustice Issues, no. 32, June 2019
830			_aJustice Issues _911352
856			_uhttp://www.lawfoundation.net.au/ljf/site/articleIDs/61BD5751775FA93B852584090007B5B9/$file/JI_32_DFV_legal_needs.pdf _zDownload paper, PDF
856			_uhttp://www.lawfoundation.net.au/ljf/site/templates/pdf/$file/LJF_DFV_infographic.pdf _zDownload infographic, PDF
856			_uhttp://www.lawfoundation.net.au/publications/dfv _zAccess the website
942			_2ddc _cBRIEFING _hnews115