Get help with separation, divorce and marriage annulment
Get help with separation, divorce and marriage annulment
Call us for free information and advice about separation, divorce or marriage annulment and how we can help you.
Phone 1300 792 387, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm.
If you need an interpreter let us know.
If we can’t help you we can refer you to other organisations that can.
Family dispute resolution can help couples who have separated sort out disputes more quickly and easily than by going to court. The Victoria Legal Aid Family Dispute Resolution Service may be able to help you.
In some regional areas we also run free divorce workshops to explain the divorce process and help participants to complete their divorce application. These are currently running at our Bendigo office. Contact the offices directly to book your place. For contact details see Our offices.
Other organisations that can help
Legal services
Some community legal centres have specialist family law and child support services. Most services are free. See the Community Law website to find a centre near you.
The Women's Legal Service Victoria provides free confidential legal information, advice, representation and referral to women.
You can also find a private lawyer near you through the Law Institute of Victoria’s Legal Referral Service. All law firms included in the Legal Referral Service provide a free 30-minute interview. If you book an interview, write your questions down beforehand, so you get as much out of the free 30 minutes as possible. If you discuss getting further help from the lawyer, make sure you know how much it will cost.
Family Relationships Online
Go to Family Relationships Online or contact their advice line on 1800 050 321 to find:
- a family dispute resolution centre
- a child contact centre – where children can see their parents or where changeover from one parent to another can occur. Many contact centres also provide support programs for children and parents experiencing family breakdown
- other services that can help you reach agreement about the children.
The Department of Human Services
The Department of Human Services has information for families, separated parents and carers about their payments and services.
Courts
If you cannot agree with your ex-partner or if your case is not suitable for family dispute resolution you may need to go to court. In court decisions on matters such as parenting orders and division of property can be made. The courts offer help, information and referral services. See:
Court Network volunteers support people at court. They are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, but they can tell you about how court works. They can also make referrals to other community agencies for support after the hearing.
If you want to see a Court Network volunteer, tell the court staff. You can also ring them before you go to court.
Family violence and support services
Family violence services are available for people who wish to leave, or have left, a violent relationship.
If you are experiencing family violence and the situation is urgent do not wait, contact the police on ‘000’.
For more family violence and support services see Get help with family violence.