Are you a victim of a crime? You may be eligible for assistance.

Neil Greaves — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 05:49:42 +0000

If you have been the victim of a violent crime, you may be able to make an application for assistance from the Victims of Crime assistance Tribunal (VOCAT).

The role of the Tribunal is to assist victims of crime in their recovery by paying for expenses that have been incurred as a direct result of a violent crime. The Tribunal does not provide compensation; however, the Tribunal can provide financial assistance to victims of crime where compensation cannot be obtained from the offender or other sources.

VOCAT provides financial assistance for a range of expenses that include:

Counselling and medical expenses.
Safety related expenses.
Loss or damage to clothing worn at the time of the incident.
Loss of earnings.
Distress or dependency payments caused by the death of a primary victim.
Assistance for reasonable funeral expenses.

In exceptional circumstances the Tribunal may be able to make an award for other expenses that you have, or are likely, to incur as a direct result of the violent crime.

You can make an application for assistance from VOCAT if you are injured as a direct result of a violent crime committed against you, if you were trying to prevent the commission of a violent crime, or if you are trying to aid or rescue someone that you believe is the victim of a violent crime.

An injury can be either a physical or psychological injury, or both.

Assistance may be available if you were present at the scene of a violent crime and injured as a direct result of witnessing that crime. Assistance may also be available if you are injured as a direct result of subsequently becoming aware of an act of violence, and you are the parent or guardian of the primary victim who is under the age of 18.

Further assistance is available to dependants and close family members of a deceased victim.

If you are not a close family member of the deceased, but have incurred funeral expenses as a direct result of the death of a primary victim, you may also make an application for assistance.

Our lawyers often work alongside victim support workers through programs such as Merri Health’s Victim Assistance Program to guide our clients through what is often a very stressful time.

When you telephone our office to make an appointment we will ask you the name of the alleged offender, the date of the crime, and the place of the crime. It may be useful to find this information before telephoning to book an appointment.

We will also require a copy of your police statement, if you have a copy, or alternatively the police officer’s name and the police station you reported the crime. This enables the Tribunal to contact the police officer and request further information about the report and the status of the investigation. It is useful to bring this information with you to your initial appointment with one of our lawyers.

If you would like further information in relation to making a claim for assistance from VOCAT, please do not hesitate to contact any of our three offices.

For Family Law advice, contact Morrison & Sawers Lawyers:

Via our website www.morsaw.com.au

Telephone our offices
Echuca, 03 5482 2222
Shepparton, 03 5831 8885
Kyabram, 03 5852 2555

Email us
morrison.sawers@morsaw.com.au

The post Are you a victim of a crime? You may be eligible for assistance. appeared first on Morrison & Sawers Lawyers.

Parenting Arrangements during COVID-19

Neil Greaves — Thu, 14 May 2020 13:58:18 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic is having an enormous impact on families, particularly separated families who are already faced with the challenges of navigating parenting arrangements subject to court orders and adjusting to significant life changes.
What does this mean for complying with current Court Orders?
Parents and carers are expected to comply with court orders in relation to parenting arrangements, consistent with their responsibilities to act in their children’s best interest. It is important for families to remember that these orders have been independently judged to be in the best interests of the children. Whilst the Courts make orders that are determined to be in the best interests of a child, caring for and determining the practical day-to-day best interests of a child is primarily the responsibility of parents and carers.
At times, it may be impossible to comply with the court orders. The Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the Honorable Will Alstergren, has asked that families respect the spirit of the orders. If parenting arrangements have to be altered, His Honour encourages people to do three things:
1. Be calm.
2. Be sensible.
3. Be reasonable.
Where it is safe to do so, parents and carers are encouraged to communicate with each other directly, or with the assistance of a third party (such as a family dispute resolution practitioner or lawyer) about their ability to comply with current orders and attempt to find a practical solution to these difficulties. If an agreement can be reached, the agreement should ideally be in writing.
His Honour remarks that if you need to lose a few days or alter arrangements, just do it to keep everyone safe. If one parent cannot see the children at their usual times, keep things as normal as possible for the children. Allow the children to have contact via telephone, Skype, Facetime or other means.
There are a number of services that continue to remain available for families. Family Relationships Online have information about the services and advice available for families. They also operate an Advice Line (1800 050 321). If parents or carers are unable to reach an agreement, and there continues to be real concerns, the parties are at liberty to approach the Court electronically.
The Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia are also continuing to operate to support families during this time. They have launched a COVID-19 List that commenced on 29 April 2020 to deal with urgent parenting disputes. Applications that may be suitable for filing in the COVID-19 List include those with an increase of family violence resulting from restrictions imposed on families, the closure of supervised contact services, travel restrictions across different States and Territories, and/or whether the parties or children have tested positive for COVID-19 and cannot fulfil the parenting obligations due to sickness or concerns of infection.
If people are experiencing family violence, it is important that they contact the police and/or communicate with family, friends or support services to ensure their safety.

For Family Law advice, contact Morrison & Sawers Lawyers:

Via our website www.morsaw.com.au
Complete our Family Law online forms to outline your individual circumstances.

Telephone our offices
Echuca, 03 5482 2222
Shepparton, 03 5831 8885
Kyabram, 03 5852 2555

Email us
morrison.sawers@morsaw.com.au

The post Parenting Arrangements during COVID-19 appeared first on Morrison & Sawers Lawyers.