Chrissy Leontios

• The Philanthropic Lawyer

  21st Jul 2016

  A personal account of Chrissy Leontios' quest to provide humanitarian services to the community, in alignment with her vision and values of all Australians receiving access to legal advice and legal services, particularly women experiencing domestic and family violence and those who rely on the legal system to achieve their safety. Her hope is to inspire other law firms and lawyers to provide pro bono and fee reduced work within their own law firms, and to practise with compassion, empathy, and kindness.

• Using peace to resolve family law conflict

  5th May 2016

  The irony of litigating family matters is that parties are effectively using litigation to counter and respond to family conflict. But rather than working as a conflict resolution tool, litigation actually extends the conflict, and perpetuates further conflict. Yet somehow this negative plus negative response is meant to achieve a positive result. 

• Moving beyond legalistic responses in family law

  18th Mar 2016

  Domestic and family violence (D&FV) is a heinous, and omnipresent epidemic in Australia. D&FV is more than physical violence. It is actual and threatened behaviour, and behaviour which is used to incite fear. It is coercive and controlling in nature, and includes emotional, psychological, economic, sexual, social, property, and family abuse. It is insidious and has no boundaries. No social group is immune from attack.

• Self-Represented Prisoners left behind in the justice system?

  4th Mar 2016

  Prisoners are arguably one of the most disadvantaged groups in Australia (and the world). Little to no research has been conducted about the impact on prisoners who are also self-represented litigants (hereinafter referred to as ‘self-represented prisoners’) such as, the extent to which prisoners encounter difficulties in accessing justice while in prison, the impact on prisoners and the resolution of their legal problem, and what efforts, if any, are being made by different Corrective Services departments to facilitate better access to justice.