Last year, more than 52,000 women experiencing domestic and family violence were turned away from women’s legal services due to funding shortages, equating to around 1,000 women being denied vital legal assistance every week.

This national initiative provides victims of family abuse with free access to vital resources to assist with navigating separation and divorce, along with initial advice from professionals.

As part of the initiative, which is calling for support from law firms, legal tech providers and corporate businesses, victims can gain access to free trauma-informed separation support, education on recognising and reducing interpersonal conflict, and other legal resources. Victims can also be sponsored for less than $1 a day to further assist them in funding options and legal advice.

CEO and founder of The Separation Guide, Angela Harbinson (pictured), winner of the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Innovator of the Year Award 2024, said the campaign has already helped more than 40,000 people.

“We launched this collective campaign to bring the legal sector together and unite on this issue of conflict,” Harbinson said.

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“Our platform is built to reduce conflict at each stage of the customer journey, yet we realised from our data that more than 25 per cent of people subscribing to our SepGuide™ Plan product were family violence victim-survivors.

“We saw an opportunity to meet an unmet need and help reduce some of the burden on Legal Aid and the family court system at the same time.”

Free access to the SepGuide™ Plan will be made available to individuals identifying as victims of family violence.

“For family violence victim survivors, that’s critical support delivered at a vulnerable time. Delays navigating the system could mean the difference between conflict and abuse escalating to physical violence,” Harbinson added.

“At its heart, conflict isn’t just a legal issue – it’s a human one. This campaign is about recognising how conflict escalates, and taking early, proactive steps to prevent harm. By giving guidance early in the separation, we can help reduce tension and conflict during this highly stressful phase of someone’s life.

“This campaign is about more than words. It’s about showing we care – through real, measurable action. We’re asking everyone in the legal and broader community to say loud and clear: I care about conflict. We’ll be measuring the social impact of our efforts, and for every 10 plans sponsored, The Separation Guide sponsors another one to boost our impact.”

Managing director of LEAP Family Law, Jenna Downy, said the provider was proud to be among the first to pledge support.

“We’re dedicated to developing specialised tools for family lawyers that save time and boost productivity, enabling them to dedicate more time to building meaningful relationships with their clients and making them feel safe,” she said.

“This is all part of our broader commitment to innovation and care, helping legal professionals better support families during one of life’s most challenging transitions.”

Clio general manager, Denise Farmer, also acknowledged the need for change to reduce conflict in family law.

“At Clio, we believe the legal system should serve people with empathy, clarity and fairness – especially during separation. That’s why we’re proud to support the I Care About Conflict campaign,” she said.

“It aligns with our mission to improve access to justice and empower legal professionals to resolve conflict with care, not harm. Together, we can create safer, more informed experiences for those navigating separation.”

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