- Published:
- Monday 27 July 2026 at 5:27 pm
The updates to our Handbook for Lawyers relating to family violence protection order grants are now live.
These changes respond to the amendments to sections 71 and 72 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008(opens in a new window), which commenced on 26 April 2026, and introduce an interim supplementary preparation fee to recognise the additional preparation work required for court ordered legal representation.
Handbook updates
The following resources have now been updated:
- guideline 8.3(opens in a new window) – guidance on sections 71 and 72 court-ordered representation of applicants and respondents
- table A4(opens in a new window) – updated to include County Court fees
- interim fees(opens in a new window) – new interim supplementary sections 71 and 72 preparation fee information.
Supplementary preparation fee
From 27 July 2026, practitioners may claim a supplementary preparation fee for eligible sections 71 and 72 grants:
- Magistrates' Court and Children's Court lump sum supplementary preparation fee of $64, increasing the total preparation fee to $311
- County Court lump sum supplementary preparation fee of $94, increasing the total preparation fee to $468.
The supplementary preparation fee is available for grants approved on or after 26 April 2026 and can be claimed retrospectively. It is claimable in addition to the standard preparation fee already available on the grant.
The supplementary preparation fee has been approved on an interim basis for 12 months while we monitor the operational impact of the legislative reforms.
Questions
If you have any questions about these changes, please contact Coordinator Christine Stojanoski in the Court Ordered, Grants and Quality Assurance team at Christine.Stojanoski@vla.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window).
Feedback
We welcome your feedback on the implementation of these reforms, including any practical issues arising in matters involving court ordered representation. This feedback will assist us in evaluating the operations of the reforms and informing our ongoing engagement with government regarding the resourcing required to support their implementation.
Please contact Program Manager David Cleary in the Family Violence team at David.Cleary@vla.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window).
Updated