Identifying the intersections between family violence and migration legal issues

Our Family Violence Program has developed a new e-learning program for lawyers to help identify and respond to migration issues experienced by family violence clients.

Intersections: The links between family violence and migration law is now available for lawyers on LawHub along with the existing Intersections modules on the links between family violence, criminal, child protection and family law.

This training is suitable for lawyers delivering family violence duty lawyer legal assistance. It explores common migration issues arising in:

• family violence intervention order proceedings (when working with respondents, misidentified persons and affected family members)
• criminal proceedings relating to family violence.

The aim of this training is to improve lawyers’ ability to identify these critical intersecting areas and to respond with appropriate advice and specialist referrals.

Responding to your needs

As part of our Specialist Family Violence Courts (SFVC) project, a learning needs survey of family violence legal service staff was conducted, with results indicating training on migration law was a priority area for lawyers.

This training has been developed by the Family Violence Program, with the assistance of our Migration Law Program and Professional Legal Education team.

Learning objectives

By the end of this e-learning module, lawyers should:

• have a basic understanding regarding the different types of visas and decision-makers in the Australian migration system
• recognise the common migration issues that can arise when working with people experiencing family violence
• recognise the common migration issues that can arise when working with people using family violence in family violence intervention order proceedings and in related criminal proceedings
• provide procedural and basic legal advice to clients in relation to the intersections of their family violence and migration issues
• recognise where to refer clients for further legal and non-legal assistance with their migration issues.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

For lawyers, completion of this e-learning module may attract 1 CPD unit in the fields of substantive law and professional skills.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email David Cleary, Senior Lawyer, Family Violence at david.cleary@vla.vic.gov.au.