Upcoming and Previous Webinars
Navigating Subpoenas and the Art of Note-Taking
Navigating Subpoenas and the Art of Note-Taking
When a support worker’s notes are requested by a court, it can feel like a breach of trust and a significant safety risk for the women we support. In some cases, subpoenas are even "weaponised" by perpetrators to try to gain access to sensitive information like refuge locations or counselling disclosures. How can we protect our clients while fulfilling our legal obligations?
Join Ashleigh Lawrence, Community Engagement Lawyer at NQ Women’s Legal Service, for our next Ask Nola webinar on Friday 17th April. We will dive deep into the legalities of subpoenas and the critical importance of trauma-informed record-keeping.
What we will cover:
· The Basics: What a subpoena is and the serious consequences of non-compliance.
· The Risks: How subpoenaed notes can impact a survivor’s safety, credibility, and parenting case.
· Objections: How and when to challenge a subpoena based on relevance, scope, or abuse of process.
· The "Protected Confidences" Regime: An overview of the new 2025 legal protections for sensitive therapeutic records.
· Note-Taking Masterclass: Practical tips for managing informed consent, client safety and when it is acceptable (or not) to take notes during legal appointments
Who should attend:
· Support workers and social workers assisting survivors of domestic, family, or sexual violence.
· Service providers who maintain client files, intake forms or safety plans.
· Legal practitioners interested in holistic, trauma-informed legal practice
Understanding Police Protection Directions
Understanding Police Protection Directions
Join us for our next Ask Nola webinar on Friday, 27th March, presented by Ashleigh Lawrence, Community Engagement Lawyer at North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (NQWLS).
This session provides a deep dive into Police Protection Directions (PPDs), a new tool in the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld) designed to provide immediate protection to victim-survivors. Unlike other orders, a PPD is a 12-month direction issued directly by police on-the-spot, requiring no initial court hearing to take effect.
What we will cover:
· The Essentials of PPDs: What they are, how they differ from Police Protection Notices (PPNs) and Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs), and why they were introduced.
· Eligibility & issuing criteria: When police can issue a PPD and the specific "relevant relationships" (intimate partners, family members, or informal carers) that qualify.
· Conditions of protection: A breakdown of standard conditions, as well as no-contact, ouster, and cool-down conditions that can be included to ensure safety.
· When PPDs cannot be used: Understanding the limitations, such as when a respondent is a child or when there are existing court orders in place.
· Enforcement & Breaches: What happens if a PPD is not followed and the criminal penalties involved.
· The Review Process: The options for a Police Review or a Court Review if a party disagrees with the direction.
Who should attend?
· Community Workers & DFV Sector Professionals: Gain technical knowledge to better support clients navigating the new PPD landscape.
· Support Services: Anyone working in housing, financial counselling, or mental health who assists women dealing with legal issues.
Family Law Pathways Network webinar - The Intersection between DFV, parenting and child protection - Part 2
Separation and parenting when there is DFV
What choices families have when children’s safety is at risk
How DFV connects with child protection
The role of DVOs in child protection cases
Where child protection and family law overlap
Practical strategies for support workers assisting families
DVO Masterclass Part 3 - DVOS, Parenting Disputes and Child Safety
DVO Masterclass – Empowering Frontline Workers
Sessions 1 and 2 covered the legal and practical foundations of Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs) and how frontline workers can support clients through the court process. Topics included what constitutes domestic and family violence, the purpose of the DFVP Act, types of DVOs, conditions and breaches, coercive control, and recent law changes. We also looked at court processes, supporting clients on court days, varying DVOs, identifying the person most in need of protection, and how children are considered in DVO matters.
Part 3: DVOs, Parenting Disputes & Child Safety
This session focuses on supporting clients where DVOs, family law and child protection intersect, with a strong emphasis on child safety.
🔎 We will cover:
DVOs and parenting disputes
Separation and DFV, including leaving safely with children
Safety options for children, including supervised contact
Withholding children for safety (with and without family law orders)
DFV, child protection and mandatory reporting
How legal systems work together
The role of support workers and the limits of legal information
📍 Who should attend?
Frontline and support workers assisting clients experiencing DFV, especially where children are involved.
Domestic & Family Violence Masterclass Service - Empowering Frontline Workers Part 2
🔎 Understanding DVOs - Gain a comprehensive overview of DVOs, including:
✅ What constitutes domestic violence
✅ The purpose and principles of the DFVP Act
✅ Types of court-issued orders and consequences of breach
✅ Crafting effective DVO applications
✅ The nuances of conditions —including navigating exceptions
✅ A look at coercive control & new legislative changes 💡
Interactive Activity: Apply your learning in a hands-on session, working through a real-world scenario to complete a DVO application.
Domestic & Family Violence Masterclass Service - Empowering Frontline Workers Part 1
🔎 Understanding DVOs - Gain a comprehensive overview of DVOs, including:
✅ What constitutes domestic violence
✅ The purpose and principles of the DFVP Act
✅ Types of court-issued orders and consequences of breach
✅ Crafting effective DVO applications
✅ The nuances of conditions —including navigating exceptions
✅ A look at coercive control & new legislative changes 💡
Interactive Activity: Apply your learning in a hands-on session, working through a real-world scenario to complete a DVO application.
Tenancy law in relation to domestic and family violence
Rose Brown | DFV Sector Capacity Building Project Worker, Tenants Queensland
New and Emerging Areas of Law
Julie and Sarah | Solicitors, Women’s Legal Service Queensland
Temporary visa holders and domestic violence
Sue Merrotsy | Solicitor, North Queensland Women’s Legal Service
Grandparent carers and their legal options
Onjawli Chakravarty | Solicitor, North Queensland Women’s Legal Service
Mediation in a Family Law context
David Walpole Sinnamon | Manager, Family Relationship Centre - Townsville