A trauma informed approach for abuse lawyers

What it means for our abuse lawyers to take a trauma informed approach

Shine Lawyers’ abuse lawyers have undergone trauma informed training which aims to create a safe, supportive and respectful environment when it comes to your abuse law compensation claim. . Learn more about our trauma informed approach and what it means for our legal team to work in a trauma informed way. 

What is trauma?

Trauma is the impact of or response to something that happened – it could be a single distressing incident or repeated incidents. A person may experience trauma at the time of the incident, or its impact may be delayed for many years. 

People experience trauma differently. If a person doesn't receive the right support for their trauma, its impact can be overwhelming and life-altering. This is particularly the case when people are abused as children, and someone (or an institution) has failed in their duty of care to protect them. 

Learn more about failed duty of care by Australian institutions, including youth detention centres, churches and defence force sites.  

What are trauma informed practices?

It can be overwhelming for people with trauma to navigate everyday services, systems and activities when their trauma isn’t acknowledged or accommodated. 

When people with trauma wish to make an abuse law compensation claim, it’s important that they find an abuse lawyer who’s received trauma informed training and who works in a trauma informed way.  

Abuse law claims and a trauma informed approach

If you were abused as a child because of a failure of care by a school, church, government department, or any other organisation, you may be eligible to make a ‘civil damages claim’ for compensation. The compensation may be for the impact the abuse has had on your life and an opportunity to hold the responsible institution to account. 

There is no time limit for making an abuse law compensation claim, if you’re an adult survivor of childhood abuse. 

Why a trauma informed approach matters

Trauma can impact how you seek help. When you live with trauma, the legal process of an abuse law compensation claim can be overwhelming. Shine Lawyers has a dedicated Lead Counsellor, Karen Spitz, and counselling team. Karen has worked to embed trauma informed practices across Shine Lawyers’ legal services. Her team provides mental health guidance and support to our abuse law clients. 

What are trauma informed principles?

Shine Lawyers’ abuse lawyers and abuse law team have received trauma informed training. This means that as a Shine Lawyers abuse law client, everyone you speak to during your abuse law compensation claim has a trauma informed approach and is sensitive to what happened to you. 

In working with clients with trauma, our abuse law team adopts BlueKnot’s five trauma informed principles as practice foundations: 

Why trauma informed lawyering matters

Trauma informed lawyering matters because it’s important that every person has access to justice and for their voice to be heard. A trauma informed legal practice works to acknowledge and hold space for clients and to support and guide them through an often complex and overwhelming legal claim process. 

Shine Lawyers’ trauma informed lawyers can help

From your first contact with our friendly and approachable Client Services Team, we will listen to what happened to you and acknowledge your trauma.

Obligation-free, confidential consultation

We can arrange an obligation-free and confidential first meeting with a member of our abuse law team. You are welcome to have a support person accompany you to this meeting. 

No Win No Fee* abuse lawyers

Our abuse lawyers offer their legal services on a No Win No Fee* basis. If you become a Shine Lawyers client, our compassionate and dedicated trauma informed abuse lawyers will provide considered and expert legal advice.  

We’ll work with you to build your abuse law compensation case and explain what’s happening and what’s coming next. While you’re an abuse law client, you’ll have access to the support of our counselling team.  

Wherever possible, throughout the legal claim process, we’ll work to minimise your stress and inconvenience.  

Learn more about the five main phases in the abuse law compensation claim process.  

Get in touch with Shine Lawyers’ trauma informed abuse lawyers for an obligation-free and confidential consultation regarding your claim.  

*Conditions apply 

Support for issues this article may have raised

If you need support for issues this article may have raised, please contact: 

• Blue Knot Foundation: 1300 657 380

• Samsn: 1800 472 676

• Bravehearts: 1800 272 831

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Mensline Australia: 1300 789 978

• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800

• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

• 13Yarn: 13 92 76 

In an emergency, call 000.