S1B Ep 9 - A New Body of Knowledge on Family Violence: Books, Law Reform and the Fight for Safety

In this episode of In Conversations About Family Violence: You Do Not Have to Put Up With It, Miss Carmella, Founder and Director of DFV Lawyers, introduces a special podcast series focused on four forthcoming book publications addressing domestic and family violence from legal, educational, practitioner and community perspectives.

The episode outlines four connected works: a comprehensive guide for family violence practitioners, a courtroom-focused case study resource, a community-facing book on coercive control, and a publication examining post-separation danger and system navigation in Victoria.

Together, these books explore major legislative reforms, including the Justice Legislation Amendment, Family Violence, Stalking and Other Measures Act 2026; annotated case studies for students and practitioners; the hidden dynamics of coercive control; and the heightened risks faced by victim-survivors after separation.

This episode also highlights the serious reality of post-separation violence, including the risks of femicide, the challenges of navigating support systems, and the urgent need for responses grounded in safety, law, trauma-informed practice and lived experience.

Drawing on legal practice, courtroom advocacy, peer-reviewed research, coronial findings and more than 200 consultations with clients across metropolitan and regional Victoria, this publication series is presented as a contribution to strengthening the family violence system and empowering practitioners, students, frontline workers, victim-survivors and the wider community.

For more information visit www.domesticfamilyviolencelawyers.au