4 Tips to Working with Survivors of Abuse in the WA System

Working in Abuse Law

It’s a ‘hard grind’ or ‘challenging work’. This is what I often hear from lawyers who have experience working in Abuse law. Those who have no experience working in this space often say “I don’t know how you do it, I couldn’t do it. It must be so hard”.

I am an abuse lawyer working in the WA jurisdiction. I do this every day. It can be very challenging. Sometimes I question how do I manage this work?

I can only imagine how fatiguing it is for survivors who have carried the trauma of abuse all their lives. I have a choice to do this work or not. I can take a break, check out if I want. They did not have a choice and they don’t have the luxury of taking a break. Some of our survivors fall into drugs and alcohol to cope with their trauma. Others work themselves so hard to avoid thinking about the trauma.

This is not a glorious field of work. It’s not like we can ring a bell when we settle a matter for our client. The satisfaction of the work is knowing that you played some small part in changing his or her life for the better.

Important Tips

A bit of feedback is always humbling especially after achieving a positive outcome for a client. In my experience the points below are important in our interactions with survivors of abuse.

1. Really listen. This is probably the most important attribute for a lawyer working with abuse clients.
2. Let them tell their story. This goes hand in hand with listening. We are there for them and survivors need to know that we care about them and what they have been through. They are in the driver’s seat.
3. Be Real. When you are genuine, client’s can feel this. They know if they are being heard or not and this comes through in your interactions with them.
4. Manage expectations. It is important to be realistic and advise accordingly. If they hear that the survivor in the newspaper got a $1 million dollar settlement you have to explain that each person’s case is different and why this is the case.

We’re With You

If you’ve been injured and want to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve, reach out to the Injury & Compensation (ACT/NSW/WA) Team at Chamberlains Law Firm. Our experienced team of personal injury lawyers is here to guide you every step of the way.

We value our clients and listen to their stories. Contact us today. We’re with you.

If you have any questions contact Keziah Holdsworth of our Abuse Compensation Team on 1300 676 823