Domestic Violence Lawyers
Protection orders, urgent court applications and family law advice, whether you need protection or you’re responding to an application. Fast, confidential, judgement-free.
Domestic and Family Violence Lawyers in Australia
In Immediate danger? Call 000.
For confidential support any time, 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) is available 24 hours a day.
If you’re reading this page, chances are something has happened at home that shouldn’t have. Maybe you need protection. Maybe you’ve been served with court papers. Either way, talking to experienced domestic violence lawyers early is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself, your children and your future.
Domestic and family violence isn’t only physical. The law recognises threats, stalking, harassment, financial abuse, emotional abuse and coercive control. These matters move quickly through the courts, and the decisions made in the first few weeks often shape everything that follows.
Every state calls its orders something different. In New South Wales it’s an Apprehended Violence Order, in Victoria it’s a Family Violence Intervention Order, and in Queensland it’s a Domestic Violence Order. Once made, these orders are recognised and enforceable right across Australia. Our team works with all of them every week.
Protection orders in every state
Wherever you are, your order travels with you. Start with your state:
NSW
AVO — Apprehended Violence Order
Police or private applications through the Local Court, with provisional orders on the spot.
VIC
FVIO — Intervention Order
Family violence intervention orders through the Magistrates’ Court, with safety notices for urgent protection.
QLD
DVO — Domestic Violence Order
Protection orders through the Magistrates Court, with Police Protection Notices for immediate cover.
If the pattern you are dealing with is coercive control, our guides to coercive control laws in NSW, Queensland and Victoria explain the criminal position in each state.
What You Can Expect From Our Domestic Violence Lawyers
Take the time to understand your situation, your safety concerns and your goals.
Develop a bespoke case strategy focused on your protection order, parenting arrangements or urgent court application.
Keep you informed at every stage, including before every court date.
Provide clear, compassionate advice so you fully understand any orders, conditions or obligations that affect you.
Resolve your matter as quickly and cost-effectively as possible, with transparent fee options.
Free First Consultation
We offer every new client a free initial consultation because you deserve to understand your options before making any commitments. During this confidential conversation, one of our experienced domestic violence lawyers will listen to your situation, explain how the law applies to you, and outline what should happen next.
We know that picking up the phone about family violence takes courage. There’s no obligation, no pressure and no judgement.
Best Domestic Violence Lawyers In Australia
Unified Lawyers has been protecting families since 2017. In that time we’ve helped more than 8,000 clients through separation, parenting disputes and family violence matters, and we’ve been consistently ranked among the top family law firms in the country.
Family law is all we do. A protection order made in a state court can affect parenting orders, property settlement and even who stays in the family home. Our lawyers handle the whole picture rather than one piece of it.
We hold more than 600 five-star Google reviews and were named 2025 Specialist Family Law Firm of the Year.
Best Family Lawyers In Australia Since 2017
Our Domestic Violence Law Services
Domestic and family violence law covers far more than a single court order. Our domestic violence lawyers handle every aspect, including:
Protection Orders
Court orders that restrict what another person can do, say and where they can go. We prepare applications that give courts what they need to act, with conditions that fit your life.
Urgent & Interim Applications
When safety can’t wait for a final hearing, courts can make interim orders quickly. We move fast on urgent protection, exclusive occupation and recovery orders.
Responding to an Application
Being named as a respondent doesn’t make you guilty, but ignoring court papers is the worst thing you can do. We give respondents honest advice about their options.
Family Violence & Parenting
Under the Family Law Act, a child’s safety comes first. We help parents put safe arrangements in place, so protection orders and parenting orders don’t undermine each other.
Family Violence & Property
The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 requires courts to consider the economic effect of family violence in property settlements. We make sure the court hears about it properly.
Breaches & Variations
Breaching a protection order is a criminal offence. We act for protected people when orders are breached, and help clients vary conditions that no longer work.
600+
5 Star Reviews and Thousands of Lives Transformed
At Unified Lawyers, results matter because they matter to you. We’ve helped more than 8000+ clients across Australia resolve their family law matters with care and expertise.
SOHAIL H
The team at Unified Lawyers has been amazing from start to finish. Everyone I dealt with, from the accounts team and customer service staff to the lawyers, was professional, friendly, and genuinely helpful. My lawyer, Santino Romanella, supported me through one of the most difficult and complex legal battles of my life. My case involved significant challenges, including interference from third parties, issues involving the misuse of AI, and modern issues of gender-based violence, but he remained calm, focused, and committed throughout the entire process. To me, Santino was like a soldier. He stood his ground, never gave up, and worked tirelessly to protect my rights at every step. No matter what came up, he handled everything with integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment. One piece of advice he often reminded me of was to “be still” and “have composure,” which really helped me stay grounded during such a stressful time.
Adam Piotrowski
Jessica Adamovich was outstanding to work with throughout my family law matter. From the very beginning, she listened carefully, understood my concerns, and provided invaluable guidance during what was a very challenging time. Her advice helped me approach each step with a calm, steady mindset, always focused on achieving the best possible outcome. Jessica built a strong professional relationship with me, which made it easy to ask questions and discuss any concerns I had along the way. I always felt supported, informed, and confident knowing she was in my corner. I would happily recommend Jessica Adamovich to anyone navigating the family law system. Her professionalism, knowledge, compassion, and dedication made a difficult process much easier to manage. Thank you Jessica
Adam H-Anderson
With Anushkas assistance, and overall hard work, my family matter has progressed with very positive results. I am very happy with how things have progressed, noting that these matters do take time as there is a process to follow, however, Anushka was very reassuring throughout the entire process, providing guidance and clarity for ease of understanding for all of the steps along the way. Donna was also instrumental in assisting with both family and other matters, which overall helped to maintain a positive outlook throughout a challenging period of time. I highly recommend the lawyers at Unified to anyone that is looking for assistance in working towards a positive, balanced and as fair as possible outcome for a given family matter. As my family matter had progressed to a final hearing, Jessica B. was instrumental in providing professional advice, while displaying genuine care for the matter, which further aided in achieving a positive result for my family. Jessica is exceptional in her role as a Senior Associate and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the advice and guidance I received through a very challenging period of time. Thank you very much Jessica and thank you to everyone at Unified, I genuinely appreciate all of your work and would recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone that needed genuine high quality legal assistance.
Jeshurun Henshaw
The customer service and professionalism from Unified Lawyers was outstanding. From the initial consultation to the actual work – this was executed in a professional manner. Working with Jordyn enabled me to have the confidence that my particular matter was going to be dealt with efficiently and professionally from a person with exceptional knowledge in family law. I thoroughly recommend Unified Lawyers.
Andrea Gartmann
Jordyn was outstanding to work with from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, and made a complex process feel simple and manageable. At every stage, she explained things clearly and kept us fully informed, which gave us real confidence and peace of mind. Her communication was always prompt and friendly, and she genuinely took the time to understand our situation and what we needed. We always felt supported and like we were in very capable hands. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We’re extremely grateful for her hard work and would highly recommend Jordyn to anyone looking for a reliable, thorough, and trustworthy solicitor.
Caleb Thompson
I was extremely happy with Unified Lawyers (Jordyn Nicholson) especially when nobody else was able to help me with my case, Jordyn would however and she did help me a lot in a short space as well as short notice. Very professional and easy to converse with, she stands with great defence on your behalf.
5 Stars
Thank you Jordyn.
Thank you Unified Lawyers.
SOHAIL H
The team at Unified Lawyers has been amazing from start to finish. Everyone I dealt with, from the accounts team and customer service staff to the lawyers, was professional, friendly, and genuinely helpful. My lawyer, Santino Romanella, supported me through one of the most difficult and complex legal battles of my life. My case involved significant challenges, including interference from third parties, issues involving the misuse of AI, and modern issues of gender-based violence, but he remained calm, focused, and committed throughout the entire process. To me, Santino was like a soldier. He stood his ground, never gave up, and worked tirelessly to protect my rights at every step. No matter what came up, he handled everything with integrity, professionalism, and sound judgment. One piece of advice he often reminded me of was to “be still” and “have composure,” which really helped me stay grounded during such a stressful time.
Adam Piotrowski
Jessica Adamovich was outstanding to work with throughout my family law matter. From the very beginning, she listened carefully, understood my concerns, and provided invaluable guidance during what was a very challenging time. Her advice helped me approach each step with a calm, steady mindset, always focused on achieving the best possible outcome. Jessica built a strong professional relationship with me, which made it easy to ask questions and discuss any concerns I had along the way. I always felt supported, informed, and confident knowing she was in my corner. I would happily recommend Jessica Adamovich to anyone navigating the family law system. Her professionalism, knowledge, compassion, and dedication made a difficult process much easier to manage. Thank you Jessica
Adam H-Anderson
With Anushkas assistance, and overall hard work, my family matter has progressed with very positive results. I am very happy with how things have progressed, noting that these matters do take time as there is a process to follow, however, Anushka was very reassuring throughout the entire process, providing guidance and clarity for ease of understanding for all of the steps along the way. Donna was also instrumental in assisting with both family and other matters, which overall helped to maintain a positive outlook throughout a challenging period of time. I highly recommend the lawyers at Unified to anyone that is looking for assistance in working towards a positive, balanced and as fair as possible outcome for a given family matter. As my family matter had progressed to a final hearing, Jessica B. was instrumental in providing professional advice, while displaying genuine care for the matter, which further aided in achieving a positive result for my family. Jessica is exceptional in her role as a Senior Associate and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the advice and guidance I received through a very challenging period of time. Thank you very much Jessica and thank you to everyone at Unified, I genuinely appreciate all of your work and would recommend Unified Lawyers to anyone that needed genuine high quality legal assistance.
Jeshurun Henshaw
The customer service and professionalism from Unified Lawyers was outstanding. From the initial consultation to the actual work – this was executed in a professional manner. Working with Jordyn enabled me to have the confidence that my particular matter was going to be dealt with efficiently and professionally from a person with exceptional knowledge in family law. I thoroughly recommend Unified Lawyers.
Andrea Gartmann
Jordyn was outstanding to work with from start to finish. She was professional, knowledgeable, and made a complex process feel simple and manageable. At every stage, she explained things clearly and kept us fully informed, which gave us real confidence and peace of mind. Her communication was always prompt and friendly, and she genuinely took the time to understand our situation and what we needed. We always felt supported and like we were in very capable hands. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts. We’re extremely grateful for her hard work and would highly recommend Jordyn to anyone looking for a reliable, thorough, and trustworthy solicitor.
Caleb Thompson
I was extremely happy with Unified Lawyers (Jordyn Nicholson) especially when nobody else was able to help me with my case, Jordyn would however and she did help me a lot in a short space as well as short notice. Very professional and easy to converse with, she stands with great defence on your behalf.
5 Stars
Thank you Jordyn.
Thank you Unified Lawyers.
Affordable Domestic Violence Lawyers Without Sacrificing Expertise
Our billing is transparent. We don’t charge for brief phone calls, printing, postage or faxes. Fees are based on the time genuinely spent on your matter, and you’ll receive a clear cost estimate, including GST and out-of-pocket expenses, before any work begins.
Fixed billing
Fixed-fee options for specific services where possible.
Time-interval billing
Standard hourly billing with transparent rates.
Flexible fees
Payment plans, staged billing and JustFund funding for clients who need flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Violence Lawyers
What does a domestic violence lawyer actually do?
A domestic violence lawyer helps you get, respond to, vary or enforce protection orders, and advises on how family violence affects parenting and property matters. We prepare your evidence, appear with you in court and deal with the other side so you don’t have to. Most importantly, we translate a stressful legal process into clear next steps.
Do I need a lawyer to get a protection order?
No, you can apply yourself or through the police, and many people do. But a lawyer makes a real difference when the other person contests the order, when children or shared property are involved, or when the conditions need to work alongside parenting arrangements. Getting the conditions right the first time saves months of problems later.
How much does a domestic violence lawyer cost?
Your first consultation with us is free, and we’ll give you a clear cost estimate before any work starts. Costs depend on whether your matter resolves by consent or goes to a contested hearing. We also offer payment plans and JustFund funding for eligible clients, so ask us about flexibility if cost is a concern.
What counts as domestic and family violence under Australian law?
It’s much broader than physical assault. The Family Law Act defines family violence as behaviour that coerces, controls or causes fear, which includes threats, stalking, harassment, emotional abuse, financial abuse and coercive control. If someone’s behaviour is making you feel unsafe or controlled, it’s worth getting advice even if you’re not sure it “counts”. You can read more in our guide to what is domestic violence
Are protection orders valid in other states?
Yes. Since 2017, domestic violence orders made anywhere in Australia are automatically recognised and enforceable nationwide. If you move from Brisbane to Sydney, your order moves with you. New Zealand orders can also be registered here.
How does family violence affect parenting arrangements?
A child’s safety is the court’s first consideration. Family violence is central to the best-interests factors in section 60CC of the Family Law Act, and the 2024 reforms strengthened this further. Courts can order supervised time, changeover at safe locations or, in serious cases, no contact. We help parents build arrangements that keep children safe without breaching anyone’s orders.
Can family violence change my property settlement?
Yes, in some cases. The Family Law Amendment Act 2024 now requires courts to consider the economic consequences of family violence when dividing property. If violence made your contributions harder or damaged your earning capacity, that can be reflected in the outcome. This is a developing area, so specialist advice matters.
What should I do if I’ve been falsely accused?
Take it seriously, get advice before your first court date, and don’t contact the applicant about the allegations, even to defend yourself. That contact can itself become a breach. We’ll go through the application with you, explain your options, including consenting without admissions, and protect your position in any related parenting matter.