There’s a pattern that comes up again and again in our first appointments. A person sits down and says something like: “He never really hit me. But I haven’t made a decision on my own in years. I had to ask permission to see my sister. He checked my phone every night. I didn’t know how much money we had. I still don’t. “
That’s not a list of complaints about a difficult partner. That is a description of coercive control.
Most people who experience it take a long time to name it. They’ve been told, often by the person controlling them, that what’s happening is normal, that they’re overreacting, or that it’s their own fault. By the time they’re ready to talk to a lawyer, they’ve usually minimised it for so long that they genuinely wonder whether it counts.
It counts.
This article explains what coercive control is, how it differs from relationship conflict, what changed in Queensland law in May 2025, how it can affect parenting and property decisions, and what your practical options are if you’re experiencing it on the Gold Coast.
Key Takeaways
- Coercive control is a pattern, not a single incident. It involves repeated behaviour used to dominate, isolate or restrict another person, and it does not require physical violence.
- It is recognised as family violence under the Family Law Act. Courts can consider coercive and controlling behaviour in parenting and protection proceedings regardless of whether any criminal charge is laid.
- Queensland introduced a standalone criminal offence on 26 May 2025. This offence has specific legal elements and does not automatically apply to every controlling relationship.
- Control often continues after separation. Money, children, technology and legal proceedings can all become tools of ongoing control once the relationship ends.
- Evidence matters, but safety comes first. A record of dates, conduct, witnesses and impact can support your case, but collecting evidence should never put you at greater risk.
- You don’t have to have been physically harmed to seek legal help, a protection order or urgent intervention. The law recognises what happens behind closed doors.
What is coercive control?
Coercive control is a repeated pattern of behaviour used by one person to dominate, intimidate, isolate or restrict the freedom of another person in a domestic relationship.
It is not one argument. It is not a bad week. It is a sustained effort to limit what you can do, who you can see, what you can spend, and how you experience your own life.
The pattern can involve monitoring your movements, controlling your money, cutting you off from friends and family, undermining your confidence, threatening you with consequences if you don’t comply, or using your children as leverage. Often it involves several of these things at once, and they reinforce each other. That’s by design.
What makes it difficult to recognise from the inside is that each individual thing can feel explainable. “He checks my phone because he was cheated on before. ” “She controls the money because I’m not good with it. ” “He doesn’t like me seeing certain friends because they cause drama. ” Over time, those individual explanations become a cage.
The defining feature is not any one act. It is the cumulative effect: that another person has taken systematic control of your life, your choices and your sense of self.
Key Point: Coercive control is about the pattern and its effect, not the severity of any single incident. A relationship with no physical violence can still involve serious domestic abuse.
Is coercive control domestic violence?
Yes. Under the Family Law Act 1975, family violence includes behaviour that coerces or controls a family member, or causes them to be fearful. The law does not require a punch or a bruise. Psychological control, financial restriction, surveillance and threats are all capable of meeting the legal definition.
The Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 in Queensland similarly recognises a broad range of abusive conduct that goes well beyond physical assault.
This matters practically. A court considering parenting arrangements can take coercive control into account as family violence. A Magistrates Court can issue a domestic violence order based on non-physical conduct. These protections exist regardless of whether any criminal charge is ever laid.
The question the court asks is not “was anyone hit? ” The question is whether conduct has caused fear, or has coerced or controlled a family member. The answer to that question shapes what happens next.
Key Point: Family law proceedings and protection order applications do not require proof of a criminal offence. The civil standard of proof applies, and the court considers the full pattern of behaviour.
What does coercive control look like in a relationship?
Coercive control looks different in every relationship, but certain patterns appear consistently. Here are examples drawn from the categories we see most often.
Financial control and economic abuse. You have no access to the joint bank account. You’re given a fixed amount for groceries and must account for every dollar. You’re prevented from working, or your employment is sabotaged. Your name is left off assets. You don’t know what’s owed, what’s owned or what the household is worth.
Surveillance and technology-facilitated abuse. Your location is tracked through an app or through your children’s devices. Your messages are read. Cameras are installed in the home. You receive a flood of messages if you don’t respond within minutes. Your social media is monitored. Passwords are demanded.
Isolation. You’re discouraged or prevented from seeing family members. Friendships are undermined or controlled. You feel unable to leave the house without explanation. Over time, the people who might notice something is wrong have drifted away.
Threats and intimidation. Threats to take the children. Threats to destroy your reputation. Threats involving immigration status, money or housing. Threats to harm themselves if you leave. None of these require physical force to cause profound fear.
Reproductive and sexual control. Pressure or coercion around pregnancy, contraception or termination. Sexual conduct that is not freely chosen.
Psychological and emotional abuse. Constant criticism that erodes your sense of self. Gaslighting, where your memory or perception is repeatedly questioned. Humiliation in private or in front of others. Being told you are lucky anyone would want you.
You might recognise several of these at once. That layering is part of what makes coercive control so effective and so hard to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it.
Expert Tip: When you try to explain coercive control to a lawyer, a court or a support worker, describe the pattern and its cumulative effect, not just individual incidents. A single example rarely captures what has actually happened.
What are the signs of coercive control?
Ask yourself these questions honestly.
Do you feel you need permission to see people or make ordinary decisions? Do you feel watched, even when the other person isn’t in the room? Are you afraid of their reaction if something goes slightly wrong? Do you find yourself explaining or justifying your behaviour to avoid conflict? Have you stopped doing things you used to enjoy because it’s easier not to? Do you not know what your household finances look like?
If several of those questions made you stop and think, that is worth paying attention to.
The most common thing people say to us at a first appointment is: “I thought I was just bad at coping. ” They’ve been told so many times that they’re the problem that they’ve started to believe it. That is itself part of the pattern.
Expert Tip: Coercive control often mimics the effects of anxiety or depression in the person experiencing it. If you’ve been treated for those things without improvement, and the relationship is the constant, that is a question worth raising with a professional.
Examples of coercive control after separation
Separation does not end coercive control. For many people, it intensifies it.
Once the relationship ends, the tools of control often shift. The behaviour continues, but through different channels.
Contact applications become a mechanism to keep you engaged in conflict. Handovers are used to question you, follow you or deliver messages through the children. Child support is withheld or manipulated. A flood of messages arrives at all hours. Legal proceedings are drawn out to exhaust you financially and emotionally. The family home is controlled by denying access or by refusing to cooperate on sale.
Technology-facilitated abuse continues through shared parenting apps, location access granted during the relationship and devices that remain connected.
Children can be used as information-gatherers, messengers or leverage. This is not always deliberate in the way an adult would understand it, but the effect on children who are placed in that position is real.
If this sounds familiar, it is important to know that post-separation coercive control is something courts and support services recognise. It affects how parenting matters are managed, what communication arrangements are put in place and whether supervision or family violence orders are appropriate.
Key Point: Post-separation control is still coercive control. Separation is the most dangerous period for many people in coercive relationships, and legal and safety planning should reflect that reality.
How is coercive control different from an unhealthy relationship or conflict?
Relationships involve conflict. People argue, say things they regret, behave badly under stress. That does not make a relationship coercively controlling.
The difference lies in three things: pattern, purpose and effect.
Pattern. Coercive control is sustained and repetitive, not episodic. It doesn’t follow conflict; it underlies the whole relationship.
Purpose. In coercive control, the behaviour serves to subordinate one person to another. It is not mutual frustration finding an outlet. One person is restricting the other’s freedom, systematically.
Effect. The person experiencing coercive control lives under a constant, low-level state of monitoring and fear. Their decisions are shaped by what will keep them safe from the other person’s reaction, not by what they actually want.
Every relationship has difficult moments. Coercive control is not a difficult moment. It is a condition that shapes every moment.
Key Point: Both people in a conflicted relationship may behave badly. In a coercively controlling relationship, only one person is operating the system of control. That asymmetry is the distinction.
Can coercive control happen without physical violence?
Yes. Definitively.
This is the thing most people get wrong when they first come to see us. They have been told, or have told themselves, that because they were never physically harmed, what happened to them doesn’t count.
It counts.
Psychological abuse, financial abuse, technology-facilitated abuse, isolation, intimidation and threats are all capable of causing serious harm. They are all capable of grounding a domestic violence order. They are all capable of being relevant in parenting proceedings under the Family Law Act. And, as of 26 May 2025, they can form the basis of a criminal charge in Queensland.
The absence of physical violence does not diminish what you experienced. In many cases, the absence of physical violence makes the abuse harder to see and harder to leave, because there is no visible injury to point to.
Expert Tip: If you’ve minimised your experience because “it was never physical”, consider speaking with a domestic violence support worker before you decide whether to seek legal advice. What you describe to them may be very different from what you’ve been telling yourself.
Is coercive control a crime in Queensland?
Yes, as of 26 May 2025.
Queensland introduced a standalone criminal offence of coercive control under the Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2024. The offence commenced on 26 May 2025.
The offence targets a sustained pattern of coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate partner relationship, where that conduct has a serious effect on the victim-survivor. It carries significant maximum penalties.
A few important clarifications.
First, not every controlling act meets the legal threshold for the criminal offence. The statutory elements are specific. A criminal charge requires police investigation and prosecution by the state. It does not happen automatically because someone reports a controlling relationship.
Second, conduct that occurred before 26 May 2025 cannot be charged under the new offence. However, earlier conduct may still be relevant in family law proceedings, protection order applications and risk assessments.
Third, a criminal prosecution and a family law proceeding are completely separate processes. Having a criminal complaint on foot does not resolve parenting arrangements or property settlement. Each process needs to be managed on its own terms.
Key Point: The Queensland criminal offence is significant, but it is one tool among several. Family law proceedings and protection orders do not depend on a criminal charge. Your safety and your family law options don’t wait for a prosecution.
What evidence can prove coercive control?
Evidence of coercive control is built from the pattern, not from a single incident. Here are the types of records that tend to be most useful.
A written chronology. A private, dated log of incidents. What happened, what was said, what the effect was, who was present and what impact it had on you or the children. Plain factual records, written as close to the event as possible, carry real weight.
Messages and communications. Text messages, emails, social media messages and voicemails that demonstrate control, threats, surveillance or harassment. Keep copies in a secure location the other person cannot access.
Financial records. Bank statements, credit card records, loan documents and any evidence of financial restriction, hidden assets or controlled spending.
Medical and counselling records. Records from a GP, psychologist or hospital that note the impact of the relationship on your health, even where the cause is described in general terms.
Witness accounts. Friends, family members, neighbours or colleagues who have observed concerning conduct or have been told about it at the time.
Photographs. Where physical harm has occurred, or where property has been damaged.
The safety caution is real. If the other person monitors your devices, searches your belongings or has access to your accounts, collecting and storing evidence can increase your risk. Think about where you store things, who can access them and whether a device could be checked.
Expert Tip: If it isn’t safe to keep records at home, a trusted friend, a legal professional’s secure storage or a confidential email account the other person doesn’t know about may be options worth discussing with a support worker or lawyer.
How should I document coercive control safely?
Keep it simple and keep it private.
Write the date, what happened, what was said and the effect it had. Keep it factual. Don’t editoralise. One sentence per incident is enough.
Don’t use a shared device, a shared email account or a cloud service the other person has access to. Don’t photograph or record conversations in ways that could provoke a confrontation or put you at greater risk.
If you can, store records somewhere the other person cannot access: a friend’s house, a private email account opened on a library computer, or with a professional.
If it is not safe to document anything right now, that is a legitimate conclusion. Your safety is the priority. A lawyer or domestic violence support worker can advise you on what steps are realistic given your specific circumstances.
Expert Tip: Clear your browser history after reading articles like this one. If the other person monitors devices in the home, consider whether a private browsing window or a different device is safer.
What should I do if I am experiencing coercive control on the Gold Coast?
Start with safety. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
For confidential support at any hour, 1800RESPECT is available on 1800 737 732. They can talk through your options, connect you with local services and help you think through safety planning without you needing to have made any decisions yet.
If you are not in immediate danger but are planning to separate, or have already separated, a family lawyer can help you understand your legal options across parenting, property and protection orders.
The Gold Coast has strong family violence support services, and the team at C + K Family Lawyers can help you work out what legal steps make sense at what point. You don’t need to have everything worked out before you call.
One practical step you can take today: write down three to five things that have happened, with dates, in a safe location. That is the beginning of a chronology, and it is more useful than you might expect at a first appointment.
Expert Tip: You do not need to have left the relationship before seeking legal advice. Many people speak with a lawyer while still living with the other person, to understand their options before they make any decisions. That is a reasonable and safe thing to do.
Can I get a domestic violence order for coercive control?
Yes. Applications for a domestic violence order are made to the Magistrates Court. The court can make a temporary protection order on short notice where there is an immediate risk, without the other person being present.
Coercive and controlling behaviour, including psychological abuse, financial abuse, surveillance and threats, can support an application for a domestic violence order even where there has been no physical violence.
The police can also apply for an order on your behalf. If police attend an incident, they may issue a Police Protection Notice immediately, before any court hearing takes place.
A domestic violence order does not resolve parenting arrangements or property settlement. Those are separate proceedings, though the existence of a protection order and the underlying conduct are relevant to both.
If the other person denies the allegations, the matter may be contested in the Magistrates Court. This is not unusual, and a lawyer can advise you on how to prepare.
Key Point: A domestic violence order can be made on the basis of non-physical conduct. You do not need a history of physical assaults to seek protection through the Magistrates Court.
What happens to the children when coercive control is alleged?
The Family Law Act requires courts to treat the safety of children, and of people caring for children, as a paramount consideration. Where family violence is alleged, that shapes how the court approaches parenting arrangements from the outset.
Where coercive control is raised, the court will want to understand what the children have been exposed to, what the risk is going forward and what arrangements would best protect them while keeping them appropriately connected to both parents.
Exposure to domestic violence, including coercive control between parents, is recognised as a form of harm to children. A child does not need to witness physical violence for that exposure to be relevant.
Practical measures that courts may consider include supervised changeovers, restriction on direct communication between parties, use of a parenting app for communication, or in serious cases, supervised time or no direct time with the other parent.
Nothing about this is automatic. Every outcome depends on the specific facts.
Key Point: You do not need to keep children from the other parent simply because coercive control has occurred. But you are entitled to raise safety concerns, and the court is required to take them seriously. Get legal advice before making any unilateral decisions about the children.
Will coercive control affect who the children live with or spend time with?
It can, but the outcome is never predetermined.
The court’s focus is always the best interests and safety of the child. Evidence of a pattern of coercive control, particularly where children have been exposed to it, directly affected by it or used as part of it, is highly relevant to decisions about living arrangements and time with each parent.
If a child has been used as a tool of control, as a messenger, as a way of monitoring the other parent or as leverage in disputes, that matters to the court.
Where serious risk is established, the court has the power to make orders that restrict or supervise a parent’s time with the children. Where the risk is lower, the court may put communication and changeover arrangements in place that reduce contact between the parents and therefore reduce the opportunity for ongoing control.
Allegations of coercive control do not automatically mean a parent loses time with their children. Courts approach these cases carefully, and the specific evidence and circumstances determine the outcome.
Expert Tip: If you are concerned about safety during handovers, you can raise that with a lawyer before any court orders are made. Interim arrangements, including changeovers at a family relationship centre or a neutral third-party location, can often be put in place without needing a full hearing.
Can the other parent use the children to continue coercive control after separation?
Yes, and it is more common than people expect.
After separation, some parents use contact with the children to maintain control of the other parent. This can look like: sending messages through the children, questioning the children about the other parent’s home, finances and relationships, withholding the children in breach of agreed arrangements, threatening to take the children as leverage in financial disputes, or using parenting app communications as a vehicle for harassment.
If this is happening, document it in the same way you would document pre-separation conduct. Keep the children out of adult disputes as much as possible. Use a restricted communication method such as a parenting app that limits contact to child-related topics and records every message.
Courts take post-separation coercive control seriously. It is directly relevant to what parenting arrangements are put in place and whether those arrangements include oversight, communication restrictions or supervision.
Key Point: If the other parent is using the children to continue control after separation, that is not a co-parenting problem you need to manage. It is conduct that is relevant to the court and should be raised with your lawyer.
What are my rights to property, money and financial support after separation?
Separation, including from a de facto partner, triggers the right to seek a property settlement. This is true whether or not you are married. Property settlement divides all assets, liabilities and superannuation based on contributions made during the relationship and what is fair going forward.
Where financial abuse has occurred, including where one partner was denied access to money, prevented from working or left without knowledge of the household’s assets and debts, that history is relevant.
Your contributions to the relationship include non-financial contributions: caring for children, maintaining the home and supporting the other partner’s career. These are recognised under the Family Law Act.
If you have been financially controlled, you may have limited knowledge of what assets exist. A lawyer can help you seek disclosure of financial information through the court process if the other person does not cooperate voluntarily.
Spousal maintenance may also be available where you cannot meet reasonable expenses from your own income and the other party has the capacity to pay. This is assessed on your circumstances and is not automatically available to everyone who separates.
Expert Tip: If financial abuse has occurred and you have limited knowledge of the household’s assets, say that clearly at your first appointment. There are legal mechanisms to obtain financial disclosure, and you should not accept a settlement without understanding what you’re actually dividing.
Does coercive control affect property settlement or spousal maintenance?
The Family Law Act does not use coercive control as a direct input into a mathematical property division. However, it is relevant in several practical ways.
The court can take into account conduct that directly affected the financial position of either party or that would make an equal division unjust. Where one party was prevented from working, denied access to financial resources or excluded from financial decision-making, those facts affect the assessment of contributions and what is just and equitable.
Coercive control is also relevant to how the proceedings are managed. Courts can make orders to protect a party from intimidation during proceedings, restrict direct communication and, in urgent situations, make interim property orders to prevent the other party from dissipating assets.
Spousal maintenance assessment considers your capacity to support yourself. If financial abuse has limited your earning capacity, your savings or your superannuation, those effects are directly relevant.
Key Point: Coercive control doesn’t change the property settlement formula, but it shapes the full picture of contributions, future needs and what’s fair. Don’t assume it is legally irrelevant just because there’s no line item for it in the legislation.
Do I have to be divorced before I can resolve parenting or property matters?
No.
Parenting arrangements and property settlement are completely separate from divorce. They can be, and usually are, resolved well before any divorce application is made. Divorce in Australia requires a 12-month separation period. It ends the marriage but does not itself resolve financial or parenting matters.
For de facto couples, there is no divorce. Separation is the relevant event that starts the clock on property and maintenance time limits.
You can apply for a domestic violence order, negotiate parenting arrangements, formalise those arrangements through the court and resolve property settlement, all without having applied for or obtained a divorce.
The one time limit to keep in mind: after divorce is granted, you have 12 months to file for property settlement or spousal maintenance through the court if no agreement has been reached. For de facto relationships, the time limit from separation is generally two years. These limits are strict, and extensions are difficult to obtain.
Expert Tip: Don’t wait for a divorce to sort out the practical matters. Property and parenting issues are time-sensitive in their own way, and the sooner they’re addressed, the less likely you are to face urgent or emergency applications later.
How can I communicate with an ex-partner safely during separation?
Where coercive control is a feature of the relationship, direct communication with the other person is often not safe, even after separation.
Consider using a parenting app such as OurFamilyWizard or Comunicare, which records all messages, limits contact to child-related topics and is designed for high-conflict situations. Courts can order the use of these apps.
Use email rather than phone calls where possible. A written record is more useful than a call.
Do not respond to provocation. You don’t have to reply to every message, and you are not required to engage with topics unrelated to the children or the legal proceedings.
If the other person is using communication as a tool of harassment, keep records and raise it with your lawyer. A protection order can include conditions on how and when the other person may contact you.
Expert Tip: The goal in communicating with a coercive ex-partner is not to resolve things through conversation. It’s to manage necessary information in a way that is safe and documented. Keep it brief, factual and child-focused.
What if I am afraid to leave or tell my partner I am separating?
This is one of the most honest questions a person can ask, and it deserves a straight answer.
Separation from a coercive partner is the period of highest risk in many of these relationships. That fear is not irrational. It reflects something real about the person you are dealing with.
You do not have to announce that you are leaving. You do not have to have a conversation. Many people consult a lawyer, develop a safety plan and make practical arrangements before the other person knows anything has changed.
If leaving feels dangerous, talk to 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. They specialise in safety planning for exactly this situation. A lawyer can advise on the legal steps in parallel.
If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
You don’t have to have a plan before you pick up the phone. The first call can be about understanding your options, nothing more.
Key Point: Getting advice is not the same as making a decision. You can speak with a lawyer or a support service before you’ve decided anything, and that conversation is confidential.
How long does a coercive control family law matter take?
It depends significantly on whether the matter is contested and how urgently action is needed.
Where there is an urgent safety issue, applications for protection orders and interim parenting orders can be heard quickly, sometimes within days.
Finalising parenting arrangements through negotiation or mediation can take months. Through contested court proceedings, it can take considerably longer, depending on the court’s list and the complexity of the evidence.
Property settlement similarly ranges from months, where parties cooperate, to years, where matters are contested.
Where coercive control is alleged, matters are often more complex. Evidence needs to be gathered. Risk assessments may be ordered. Independent children’s lawyers may be appointed. These steps add time, but they exist to protect the people who need them.
Expert Tip: Urgency has its own timeline. If you or the children are at risk right now, urgent applications can be made quickly. Don’t assume you have to wait for a slow process when immediate safety is at stake.
How much does it cost to get legal advice about coercive control?
The cost of legal advice varies depending on the complexity of your matter, whether it is contested, what proceedings are necessary and how long they take.
An initial consultation will give you a clearer sense of what your situation involves and what the realistic range of costs might be for your circumstances. We are transparent about costs from the first appointment.
It is worth knowing that Legal Aid Queensland may be available in family law matters involving domestic violence. Eligibility depends on your income, assets and the nature of the matter. A lawyer can advise whether this is worth pursuing.
The proportionality of cost to outcome is a genuine consideration. Protracted litigation over issues that could be resolved through negotiation costs everyone. Part of good legal advice is helping you understand when to push and when to resolve.
Expert Tip: Ask your lawyer at the first appointment what the main cost drivers will be in your matter. The honest answer should include factors within your control, such as whether you engage in negotiation, and factors that are not, such as the other party’s conduct.
What should I bring to my first appointment with a family lawyer?
You don’t need to arrive with everything sorted. The first appointment is about understanding your situation, not about having the answers already.
That said, a few things help.
Bring a brief chronology if it is safe to prepare one: key dates, what has happened and any major incidents. You don’t need to write an essay. A timeline on a single page is enough to start.
If you have any existing court orders, protection orders or police reports, bring copies.
If you have concerns about the children, make a note of what those are before you arrive, so you don’t forget in the moment.
If you know of significant assets, debts or superannuation, bring a general sense of what they are, even if you don’t have exact figures.
If it is not safe to bring paperwork, come with what’s in your head. A good lawyer can work with that.
Expert Tip: Leave any documents you bring at a safe location rather than in your home if there is any risk the other person may find them. A trusted friend’s house or your workplace is often a better option than home.
When should I seek urgent legal help?
Seek urgent help if any of the following apply:
You are in immediate physical danger. The other person has threatened to take or has taken the children. You believe assets are about to be hidden or transferred. You have been served with court documents and a response deadline is approaching. A protection order is about to expire. You have received a police protection notice.
In any of these situations, call 000 if there is immediate danger, or call a family lawyer as soon as possible. Urgent applications can be made to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia or to the Magistrates Court without waiting for the other person’s cooperation.
Don’t wait to see how things unfold. Urgency in family law has real consequences, and acting quickly is almost always better than waiting.
Key Point: If you are not sure whether your situation is urgent, call and ask. A family lawyer can help you assess that in a short conversation. You are not wasting anyone’s time.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a domestic violence order if the other person has never physically harmed me? Yes. The Magistrates Court can make a domestic violence order based on non-physical conduct, including psychological abuse, financial abuse, surveillance, threats and coercive or controlling behaviour. Physical violence is not a threshold requirement.
Does coercive control show up in property settlement? Not as a standalone line item, but it can be relevant. Where financial abuse has affected your contributions, your earning capacity or your knowledge of the assets, those facts are relevant to a just and equitable settlement. A lawyer can advise on how to raise it in your specific circumstances.
What if my ex denies everything? This is common. Denial does not mean the matter cannot proceed. Courts assess evidence, including your contemporaneous records, messages, financial documents and witness accounts. Credibility is assessed over time. A lawyer can advise on how to build and present a compelling account of the pattern.
Can I take the children and leave without the other parent’s agreement if I am afraid? This is a situation where legal advice is critical before you act. Removing children from their usual living arrangements without agreement or a court order can have serious legal consequences, even where there is genuine risk. Contact a lawyer or 1800RESPECT as an emergency priority to understand your options before making that decision.
What support is available for someone experiencing coercive control on the Gold Coast? 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 is available 24 hours a day for confidential support and safety planning. Gold Coast-based domestic violence support services are also available. A family lawyer can advise on the legal aspects in parallel with that support.
What to do next
If any part of this article has described something you recognise, the most useful thing you can do today is speak to someone. That might be 1800RESPECT for immediate support, or it might be a family lawyer to understand your legal options.
At C + K Family Lawyers on the Gold Coast, we work with people at exactly this point. You don’t need to have a plan. You don’t need to have left. You just need to make the first call.
Book a confidential, no-obligation chat with our team to talk through your situation and understand what your options are.
The thing we most want you to know, before anything else, is this: what you experienced is real, it has a name, and there are people who can help you with what comes next.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Family law outcomes depend on your individual circumstances. For advice about your situation, speak with a qualified family lawyer.
About the Author
Christopher (Chris) Jones is the Principal Lawyer and co-founder of CK Family Lawyers, a Queensland family law firm. Chris advises on divorce, property settlement, parenting arrangements, binding financial agreements, mediation and domestic violence matters. After working in legal environments where clients felt depersonalised and lost in jargon, he co-founded the firm with Krystina Jones on the belief that people deserve family lawyers who genuinely care, and he works directly with his clients throughout their matters.
