Being a parent is hard enough without having to navigate complex legal issues. For many mums, legal problems can feel overwhelming to solve – especially for mums dealing with family violence, financial hardship or insecure housing. Our legal system can be complex, expensive, and at times retraumatising. Seeking help is hard – especially when many parents don’t even realise that what they’re experiencing has a legal solution.
For trans and gender-diverse parents, migrant mothers, and women experiencing coercive control, the barriers can be even greater. Stigma, shame, surveillance and fear can all stand in the way of accessing support. For some of these mothers, a nurse’s office is one of the only places where they can speak freely. In the privacy of a routine check-up, a mother might finally have the opportunity to disclose that she is being financially controlled by her partner, or that she is struggling to navigate a custody dispute.
Free and confidential legal help tailored to mums
No one should have to navigate these challenges alone. That’s the community legal sector needs programs like the Mothers’ Legal Help program. Mothers’ Legal Help is a free legal program designed specifically for mothers and primary carers of young children who are facing legal issues. Our program is designed to better reach those affected by family violence, separation, housing instability, or financial stress.
Our program embeds lawyers in Maternal and Child Health clinics across the Cities of Casey, Dandenong, and Cardinia. Through these health justice partnerships, we can deliver legal help in a safe, trusted space, where women who might be unable to visit a lawyer can access free and confidential advice with complete privacy.
By meeting people where they are, we remove many of the traditional barriers to legal support. And for some, this small shift in setting makes all the difference. For some parents, a check-up with a maternal and child health nurse may be the only time they are alone and able to speak freely. That privacy is crucial for mothers experiencing coercive control, financial abuse, or threats from a partner.
How a routine appointment became a turning point for Layla*
When Layla* went to her routine check-up with her maternal and child health nurse, she had no intention of speaking about her relationship. Her focus was on her baby’s health. But when the nurse gently asked if she felt safe at home, Layla hesitated.
She had been living under intense surveillance. Her phone was monitored, her finances were controlled, and she wasn’t allowed to leave the house without permission. She had never seen a lawyer. She hadn’t thought it was possible. Her scheduled check-ins with her maternal health team were one of the few moments of privacy Layla had.
After hearing her story, Layla’s nurse offered to connect her with one of our lawyers, who was situated within the centre. Layla agreed. In her appointment with us, she received clear advice about her legal options and how to safely apply for an intervention order so she could stop living under constant surveillance.
Layla left with more than legal advice. She left with a plan. One small conversation with a maternal health nurse had helped Layla develop a roadmap for change and reassured her that support was within reach. She knew she had help from our lawyers and our social work team.
At South-East Monash Legal Service, we’re privileged to witness the immense courage and bravery mums like Layla demonstrate when facing injustice. But no-one should have to navigate this alone.
Accessible legal help that meets mums where they are
Programs like Mothers’ Legal Help matter because there are still too many women and gender-diverse people who feel trapped by unsafe and unfair circumstances. When someone doesn’t know their legal rights, or can’t access the support they need, they’re left without the options they need to change their lives for the better.
Our legal system should work for everyone. That means ensuring support is accessible, affordable, and safe. The Mothers’ Legal Help program does just that. It opens a door for mothers to take back control of their lives — with legal support that meets them where they already are.
