North West Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service
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What is the Service?
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The North West Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service provides assistance to women applying for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order.
The Hawkesbury office is based in the Hawkesbury Nepean Community Legal Centre, and attends Windsor Court every Wednesday for ADVO list day.
The Blacktown office attends Blacktown Court every Wednesday for ADVO list day. You can meet a worker at court on the day.
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What can the Service do?
The Service is a free service and can help women experiencing domestic violence by providing:
Information about ADVOs and the court process
Support at court and advocacy
Access to legal representation if required
Referrals to counseling, accommodation or support groups
Information about victims compensation and ADVO hearings
Advocacy with police, solicitors or court staff
A Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) specialist worker
An Aboriginal specialist worker
How can an ADVO help?
ADVOs are Court Orders designed to protect people who are in fear due to the actions of another person. They are applied for by the Police or through the Chamber Registrar and can have various conditions that restrain the defendant from behaving in certain ways.
Some ADVOs simply prohibit the defendant from doing anything that may be intimidating. Others might be more specific and require the defendant to stay away whilst they are affected by alcohol, or to not come within 100m of where you live. The Court Advocacy Service, along with the police, or a solicitor can help you to think about what orders might be suitable in your situation.
How can you contact the Service?
You can ring one of our offices before or after your matter goes to court, or you can talk to our staff at Windsor Court on a Wednesday morning.
Windsor office: (02) 4587 9997
Blacktown office: (02) 9671 9126
Where can I get more information on domestic violence?
www.dvhelppenrithregion.nsw.gov.au
www.austdvclearinghouse.unsw.edu.au
Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is provided to educate and inform the community about law and is NOT intended as legal advice. While Hawkesbury Nepean Community Legal Centre has endeavoured to make this information as accurate and up-to-date as possible, such information is not a substitute for legal advice.
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW. The Foundation seeks to advance the fairness and equity of the justice system and to improve access to justice, especially for socially and economically disadvantaged people. http://www.lawfoundation.net.au
Disclaimer: any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Law and Justice Foundation's Board of Governors.