Frequently asked questions

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about knowmore. If these FAQs do not your answer all your questions, or if you still require further information, please send us an email at info@knowmore.org.au or fill out the form on the Contact Us page.

What does knowmore do?

knowmore provides free legal advice and support for survivors of child sexual abuse.

We can:

We also help Stolen Generations survivors for the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.

You can speak to our specialist support workers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors and financial counsellors for free, either on the phone or face to face. They will help you to access our legal services and provide you with support along the way.

If we can’t help, we’ll refer you to a service that can.

You can contact us by:

We are here to help you consider your legal options. We do not try to make your decision for you, or pressure you to make any particular decision. We’ll give you the information and advice you need so that you can make the choices that are right for you.

No, all our services are free.

knowmore is fully funded by the government. You don’t have to pass a means test to use our services and you don’t have to pay.

Note: knowmore’s lawyers won’t charge any fees, but if we believe you have a strong civil case we might refer you to a lawyer outside of our organisation who would generally charge fees to represent you. Our staff will explain your options and it will be your choice whether you want to do this.

We help people who have experienced child sexual abuse, and people contacting us on their behalf. This includes people who were sexually abused at school, in a sporting club, children’s service, orphanage, foster care, residential care, religious organisation, government organisation or any organisation that was involved with children. It also includes people who were sexually abused by a family member, friend or stranger before they turned 18.

knowmore helps Stolen Generations survivors, including for the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.

You don’t have to have previously engaged with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to access our services.

knowmore is an independent legal service funded by the Australian Government, represented by the Attorney-General’s Department and Department of Social Services.

Jackie Mead is the acting Chief Executive Officer of knowmore and he is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The Acting Principal Lawyer Rachel Neil is responsible for the service’s legal practice.

knowmore is committed to providing high-quality professional, ethical, safe and culturally secure services. To do that, we need you to acknowledge and respect that you have certain responsibilities, and we in turn acknowledge and respect that the people who come to us have certain rights.

You have a right to:

  • be treated with respect and in a non-discriminatory way
  • have your privacy and confidentiality protected
  • receive appropriate and high-quality advice, information, referrals and assistance
  • have a friend, family member, support person or advocate with you when you speak with us
  • have access to an interpreter if you need one
  • have access to your information at knowmore and to correct any details that are incorrect
  • complain if you are not satisfied with the service you receive.

You have a responsibility to:

  • treat staff and other service users with respect
  • provide us with correct information about yourself and your situation so that we can give you the best advice and assistance we can
  • let us know if your contact details change while you are receiving our services
  • act in a way that doesn’t put you or any other person at risk, or compromise any person’s safety.

We’re a team of lawyers, support workers, financial counsellors and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors – all experienced and trained in working with survivors of sexual abuse and people who have experienced trauma. We’re supported by office staff who have also had cultural awareness and trauma-informed training.

Yes, knowmore has strong partnerships with community legal centres and other legal assistance services, members of the private legal profession and a range of specialist counselling and support services across Australia.

knowmore is in regular consultation with survivors’ groups and relevant government departments to ensure that our information and advice services are as up-to-date and informed as possible, and that referral pathways and protocols work as smoothly as possible for our clients.

knowmore is committed, wherever it is practicable and possible to do so, to work in partnership with, and to support the work of, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services and the Family Violence Prevention Legal Services. In some cases, these dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services may be unable to assist some clients and in those cases, we will do all we can to provide culturally safe legal assistance to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person wanting our legal advice and support.

Your information is confidential and will only be shared outside of knowmore with your permission or in exceptional circumstances where we are compelled or authorised to do so by law. Read more about our commitment to confidentiality and privacy.

We are interested in your feedback about our service. If you have a complaint, we would like to know about it. If you are pleased with our service or have suggestions for improvement, we would like to hear about that too.

You can make a complaint or provide feedback by calling or emailing our acting Principal Lawyer, Rachel Neil.
Tel: 02 8267 7400 or 1800 605 762
Email: principal.lawyer@knowmore.org.au

We will respond to your complaint quickly, fairly, and in accordance with our feedback and complaints procedure.