Our services
The Women's Information Service (WIS) provides the following services:
Information and referral
We provide information about South Australian government, non-government and community services.
Family Court Support
Family Court Support
The Family Court Support (FCS) program is a free and confidential service providing trained volunteers to accompany women to the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court in Adelaide.
At the Women's Information Service (WIS) we recognise that the Family Court process is often very stressful and sometimes long.
During the process you may find you spend a lot of time waiting around and if you are on your own it can be quite daunting.
Family Court Support volunteers attend a comprehensive training program and are experienced with the court processes and in accompanying women to court.
What we can do
- accompany you to the Family Court for hearings, mediation and family conferences
- provide information about the Family Court and its processes
- liaise with security staff when arriving at the court building and during court proceedings
- sit with you before and during the hearing
- offer a listening ear throughout the day at court
- keep your personal information and details confidential
- introduce you to WIS for information and referrals about other issues including domestic and sexual violence, housing options, financial matters and health and wellbeing
What we can't do
- give legal advice
- provide counselling
- provide transport to or from the court
- provide childcare
How to request a Family Court Support volunteer
- Contact WIS to make a booking.
- Make sure you have the following details:
- Date and time of your court appointment
- Details of which court you will be attending (Family Court or Federal Circuit Court)
- Will anyone else be attending with you?
- WIS staff will take your details and call you closer to the court date to confirm the name of the FCS volunteer who will meet you on the day of your court appearance.
NB: WIS will endeavor to ensure a volunteer will attend, but please be aware that making a booking does not guarantee a volunteer will be available.
Secure room at the family court
In cases where there has been a history of domestic violence you have the option to to book a secure room at the court. This is a great service offered by the court and provides you with a safe space, away from your ex-partner, to wait until your case is called. Security guards are very supportive of this arrangement and are happy to escort you to and from the secure room as required.
To book a secure room call: 1300 352 000
Childcare at the family court
Childcare at the court is not guaranteed, so please be aware that you may need to make other arrangements.
WIS Family Court Support volunteers cannot give you legal advice.
Financial Counselling
Financial Counselling
The Zahra Foundation provides financial counselling for women who have experienced domestic and family violence.
A Zahra outreach worker visits the WIS Shopfront twice a month.
To make an appointment please phone the The Zahra Foundation Office on 8352 1889.
Contact us for more information.
Free internet access
Free internet access
Our shopfront is open and access to free internet is now available. Contact WIS for more information.
Ombudsman Outreach
Ombudsman Outreach
If you would like to be put in touch with the outreach worker outside these times, you are welcome to contact WIS.
You can contact the Ombudsman directly - regarding making a complaint about South Australian government department or local council - by using the webform or by email at ombudsman@ombudsman.sa.gov.au
If you do not have internet access, you can send your complaint to:
Ombudsman SA
PO Box 3651
RUNDLE MALL SA 5000
(08) 8226 8699 or 1800 182 150 (outside metro SA only)
If you are unable, for example by reason of disability, to put your complaint in writing, you can call the Ombudsman's Office on 8226 8699.
Rural Women's Phone Link Up
Rural Women's Phone Link Up
Women in rural and remote areas can contact us on our toll free number (1800 188 158) and have their call transferred to services in SA that do not offer a toll free number.
Please note there is a charge for calls to this number from mobile phones.
Tax help (July – October)
Tax help (July – October)
Tax help is available annually at the Women's Information Service during tax time. This service is free and confidential and provided by fully trained volunteers.
Call us in July to find out if you are eligible to access this service and/or make an appointment.
WIS Facebook
WIS Facebook
FACEBOOK TERMS OF USE – Women’s Information Service
Thank you for your interest in our Facebook page. We value your comments and contributions.
While we encourage you to join the conversation, we will not tolerate irrelevant, disrespectful, offensive, crude or hateful comments, or comments that make another person on the page feel unsafe.
We retain the right to hide, remove or edit comments that we feel are inappropriate or inconsistent with the values of the Women’s Information Service.
We retain the right to block a user from the page who acts in a way that we feel is inappropriate or inconsistent with the values of the Women’s Information Service.
Please keep all comments and discussion respectful and courteous.
We will remove posts or comments that contain any of the following:
- Comments or links that we consider to be discriminatory, defamatory, false or misleading, racist, off-topic, inflammatory, repetitive, offensive or otherwise inappropriate.
- Comments that disrespect another person on this page
- Comments that make another person on the page feel unsafe
- Comments that disrespect a person or people
- Comments that diminish or minimise women's experiences.
- Comments or links that are prejudicial towards matters that are before the courts
- Commercial content, advertisements or spam
- Anything that infringes the privacy, intellectual property or other legal rights of others
- Comments of a campaigning nature
- Comments that promote a product, service, cause or initiative
- Any other material we consider to be inappropriate.
We retain the right to block a user from the page whose posts or comments include any of the above. For your and others' safety, we hide or edit comments that share urgent, identifying or distressing information. Please note that we do monitor comments and reply to messages during business hours.
While we share content from various sources, we do not endorse all the content and views of those sources. We also value comments to our posts, but reserve the right to delete any comments that we feel are inappropriate or inconsistent with the values of the Women's Information Service.
If you have any questions relating to these guidelines, please email wis@sa.gov.au
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