The Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service is the New South Wales Government organisation that provides funding and support for the WDVCASes, and ensures that they are operating according to their mandate.
The principles and guidelines of the Scheme required that it be operated by paid staff, who were to be women wherever practicable, and would provide a holistic service including court advocacy to those who were otherwise unrepresented.
[1] The scheme initially operated once a week on summons day (Wednesdays) at Redfern Local Court and involved a solicitor and two support workers providing service exclusively to women seeking AVOs.
A comprehensive evaluation was conducted and launched by Justice Elizabeth Evatt in August 1991 and recorded the considerable success of the scheme in increasing the numbers of orders secured for the protection of women.
[24][25] The Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service is the New South Wales Government organisation that provides funding and support for the WDVCASes, and ensures that they are operating according to their mandate.
It operates safe rooms in courts and free legal advocacy and support services to women seeking protection orders in relation to domestic violence.
[26] The Women's Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service (WDVCAS) was established in South Australia in July 2015, as a response to the inquest into the murder of Zahra Abrahimzadeh at the hands of her estranged husband in Adelaide in 2010.
Funded for two years by the victims of crime levy, the services provide information, legal advice, support and representation relating to intervention order.