Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO5872

The Australian Government is inviting organisations via a closed non-competitive process to apply to deliver legal representation services under the Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties Scheme (the program). This program sits under Program 1.4 Justice Services. 

The government has committed approximately $48.8 million over 4 years from 2023-24 to 2026-27 for the Attorney-General’s Department to support the program’s continued operation and meet expected demand. This includes funding for both legal representation and a dedicated Scheme coordination role.

 The objectives of the grant opportunity are to ensure that legal aid commissions (LACs) continue to have sufficient resources to provide legal representation for parties subject to the ban on direct cross-examination. LACs do not need to reallocate funding away from other Commonwealth service priorities, such as other family law matters, to meet the cost of matters affected by the ban on direct cross-examination and cross-examination can occur in matters in which direct cross-examination is banned.

The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are to:

• prevent the re-traumatisation of victims of family violence
• maintain procedural fairness for all parties
• ensure that victims do not settle their matter and enter into unsafe arrangements because of a fear of direct cross-examination.

To be eligible to receive a grant, you must be one of the organisations listed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and have received an invitation to apply through GrantConnect.

Assessment of applications - within 10 weeks from the closing date

Approval of outcomes of selection process - within 13 weeks from the closing date

Notification to unsuccessful applicants - within 15 weeks from the closing date

Negotiations and award of grant agreements - within 23 weeks from the closing date

Earliest start date of grant activity - July 2023

End date of grant activity - 30 June 2027

By invitation only.

Please use the latest version:

Grant Opportunity Guidelines - 14 December 2022