Domestic Violence
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a widespread problem in the community.
What Is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is any of the following acts:
- willful injury;
- willful damage to another person’s property;
- intimidating or harassing behaviour towards another person;
- indecent behaviour towards another person without consent; or
- a threat to commit any of the above.
Protection orders
In Queensland, the domestic violence legislation covers the following relationships:
- family relationships;
- intimate personal relationships – where people are or were engaged to be married, or were previously dating and their lives have become enmeshed;
- informal care relationships; and
- marriage or de facto relationships.
All of these relationships are covered by the legislation whether the people are of the same or opposite sex.
Children under 18 years cannot seek a Protection Order or have an Order made against them in family relationships or in informal care relationships where the care involves a parent or relative.
A person who claims to be a victim of domestic violence can apply to the Court for a Protection Order
The police have power to take a person into custody for up to four hours if they suspect domestic violence has occurred or is occurring.
Even if the application is not made through the police, the police will serve the summons on the person suspected of domestic violence.
The terms of the Order may vary according to the circumstances of each case and what the Court thinks is appropriate in view of those circumstances.
These Orders can be extended to friends, relatives, and workmates of the victim.
Once a Protection Order is made it usually lasts for two years.
If you have moved to Queensland from interstate, you can have an interstate Protection Order registered here.
Client Testimonials
Lovely to deal with and provides a balanced view in what are very difficult circumstances.
I’m very glad ‘Michael Lynch Family Lawyers’ is my lawyer and not the other side’s solicitor.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers always gave me competent and knowledgeable advice. I was consistently kept up to date. The meetings and phone calls were kept business-like, yet caring and thoughtful of my emotional state at the time. Thank you.
I was very impressed with the initial interview. Everything was well-explained, and the advice was honest about what I should expect.
Thank you for the outstanding legal advice you have provided and professionalism in which you conduct yourself. I am truly thankful that it was you who represented me.
Your staff is knowledgeable, professional and very calm.
Thank you Debra for all the work you did for me, you both made the process manageable and brought sense to the chaos.
Thank you very much to everyone at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers. Thank you for helping me get my life back and make a fresh start. To have that fresh start without fear and anxiety is priceless.
Amy, thanks very much to you and your team. Throughout my dealings with MLFL I have been continually impressed with your level of professionalism and, in particular, your understanding of circumstances and the articulate way you conduct yourself. I was completely satisfied with today’s outcome and without your experience and expertise in family law I doubt that the result would have been achieved.
My lawyer has been an amazing help through this stressful time. I will remember her help for the rest of my life. Thank you.
After utilising the mediation services team recommended by your organisation, my ex-partner and I were able to reach some interim agreements about parenting. I am incredibly grateful for the advice provided by Debra Effeney; and found your firm’s services to be exceptionally professional. If we needed to consult a family lawyer in the future, we would have no hesitation in reconnecting with your firm.
My solicitor provided a personalised service, prompt and quick responses and cost information prior to my commitment.
I liked my solicitor keeping things as simple as possible.
Thank you for being very personable, professional and always providing me with the most appropriate advice in my times of difficulty. The other party’s lawyers were extremely aggressive, while Michael Lynch Family Lawyers remained calm and professional.
Amy, thank you. You have been diligent, accurate and pro-active for the entire duration of my matter. I appreciate it.
I like your friendly service and the ability to speak to my solicitor directly.
I appreciate you being upfront with fee estimates. You also have a fantastic website and the seminars REALLY helped to get me focussed.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers have really listened to me. I felt confident my case was handled well. The law has changed recently, and I did not feel that a previous law practice I spoke to was suitably up-to-date.
I have appreciated the way that you and the staff at your firm have handled my situation. I would especially like to mention the professional and caring way my lawyer conducted my case, I am deeply grateful and extremely happy with the results. I will be referring others to your service.
Thank you, you placed my needs first, you were aware of the need to reach a final result and not get caught up in the personal issues of the other party.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers are easy to deal with, and your systems are good.
I always felt that the service provided by Michael Lynch Family Lawyers was of a high standard. Each time, after appointments I came away feeling secure. Keep doing what you are and maintain the ‘family feel’ that permeates your services.
If I need a family lawyer in the future I’ll be heading to Michael Lynch Family Lawyers again.
Thank you, you kept me sane in a difficult situation and gave me the encouragement and the confidence to keep going. You made me feel extremely comfortable.
At Michael Lynch Family Lawyers I got professional and ‘no-nonsense’ advice, costs were within quoted amounts and my matter was resolved quickly – well done!
A personalised and professional service. Information has been clear and provided timely to assist my decision-making.
My family lawyer was very helpful in assisting me to combat a very ugly situation without stooping to the low levels that the other solicitor attempted to take us.
Your team’s communication with me was exceptional, I knew exactly what was happening.
Amy, thank you for all that you have done during this matter. You impressed me with your professionalism from our initial meeting, and you have proven beyond doubt, to have had the skills and knowledge required. You are a credit to the company, and I would highly recommend you to anyone in a similar situation.
May I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you and your staff for the excellent professional services I received. In a word, priceless.
Many thanks to Stephanie for her help and support through this time, I was incredibly impressed with her work.
My lawyer acted with professionalism in all her dealings with me and with the lawyer on the other side. I was always kept in the loop. I liked her approach. Thanks.
Many thanks for your assistance – life is now great – I’m moving on.
Thank you for your ongoing conciliatory approach in this matter and as always I appreciate your level headed advice. I certainly feel that I ended up with the right Solicitor.
Thank you for helping me through this difficult time. You have been caring, compassionate and efficient. Some of my divorcing friends have not been so fortunate. In my mind, you are the best family lawyer in Brisbane. If anyone I know needs a good family lawyer, I will tell them to speak to you. Thanks again.
The staff at Michael Lynch Family Lawyers were great. Everyone was fantastic, professional, understanding, caring and always communicated with me. I knew I was in good hands.
Amy’s work was extremely professional but above all she has a manner and wisdom in dealing with people under stress. I will be recommending your firm to anyone that requires assistance.
Thank you for providing me with a professional yet empathetic approach to gain the best outcome for me. My solicitor was excellent in explaining the processes and in representing me in Court. You have great customer service!
The professionalism and reliability delivered by Amy Honan was fantastic. I had an urgent matter around my property sale and Amy offered to provide assistance over a weekend if I required it – that’s above and beyond!
I was guided through a really difficult time with expertise of Michael Lynch Family Lawyers. I am more than happy with the outcome of mediation.
I really liked the personable service by Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, the simple plain language you adopt and everyone’s patience.
Michael is very personable and very good at covering the material and explaining the strategy.
I like that my lawyer treated me like a friend and kept jargon to a minimum. She was easy to contact and kept me informed.
I just wanted to get in touch to say thanks for helping me get through my custody and settlement. Thanks again to you and your staff. You have had a significant positive impact in my kids’ lives!
You, guys, provide extraordinary service.
So pleased to have had a good, sound and knowledgeable firm.
We had such a positive experience with Michael Lynch Family Lawyers, and we highly recommend their services. Meticulous attention to detail, attended quickly to every additional request we made, and made sure we always knew exactly where we were every step of the way. Our lawyer took what was such a stressful and emotional time for our family, and made the process feel so smooth and seamless.
I was always confident that I was getting the very best advice.
My solicitor is a good listener. My documentation maintained the high moral ground.
Michael, thank you again for your presence here yesterday. We really appreciated the clarity and accessibility of your presentation. It is a rare thing to find somebody who not only has expertise, but also has a skill in communicating it.
Your newsletters are great, I appreciate them.
I was impressed by my solicitor’s attention to detail and her concern for me, and that the process was explained to me and that I understood it at all times.
I appreciate my lawyer’s professional approach and her being on top of my situation.
I really appreciated the happiness of your secretarial staff.
My lawyer was the most knowledgeable of all lawyers I spoke to when looking for a lawyer. Michael Lynch Family Lawyers showed professionalism.
Thank you for the great newsletter. Your article on “Coping with Christmas” is brilliant – clear, caring and helpful. Thanks again!
I would like to thank your firm for the support and compassion shown while dealing with my matter.
Michael Lynch Family Lawyers know what they are talking about.
Your team is professional, warm, friendly and real.
subscribe to our
FAMILY FLYER
The Family Flyer is a monthly e-mail newsletter. It contains a mix of short topical articles to keep you up-to-date with family law issues.Subscribe now and receive a FREE copy of A Guide To Family Law by Family Law Specialist, Michael Lynch containing information valued at over $500.