Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO2250

The Australian Government is inviting legal aid commissions to apply for funding to provide legal representation under the Family Violence and Cross-examination Parties Scheme across Australia from 2018-19 to 2022-23. 

The key focus of this program is to provide legal representation to parties subject to the ban on direct cross-examination under the measures in Division 4 of Part XI of the Family Law Act 1975  (the Act)(as amended by the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties) Act 2018) and under any equivalent measures in the Family Court Act 1997 (WA).

The program will provide funding for legal representation for the hearing in which cross-examination is to occur, including the necessary preparatory work for that hearing. Opportunities for settlement through late-stage legally-assisted family dispute resolution may also be explored where appropriate.

The objectives of the program are to ensure that:

1. Legal aid commissions have sufficient resources to provide legal representation for parties subject to the ban on direct cross-examination.

2. Legal aid commissions 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.

3. Cross-examination can occur in matters in which direct cross-examination is banned. 

To be eligible to apply, you must be one of the Legal Aid Commissions listed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and have received an invitation to apply through GrantConnect.

By invitation only