Section 70 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 (Vic) states that on a hearing of an Intervention Order a Respondent may not personally ask any questions by way of cross-examination of the Affected Family Member. This rule means that in most cases if an Intervention Order is to be contested the Respondent must be represented by a solicitor.
A further important aspect of legal representation is that especially in the early stages a solicitor can act as an intermediary between the Affected Family Member, the Police and also the Magistrate, and in doing so achieve a better outcome for all parties in circumstances where more often than not emotions are highly charged. |
