Johnston Ryan Legal

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Johnston Ryan Legal

Your legal big sister in Melbourne/Naarm. Civil + criminal law, personal safety + family violence matters. Please get in touch with us to find out more.

Welcome to Johnston Ryan Legal, based in Melbourne/Naarm, Victoria. Led by Founding Principal Rebecca Johnston-Ryan, we specialise in criminal law, personal safety matters, and family violence matters. We have witnessed first hand the barriers that often deter people from seeking essential legal help. Our mission is deeply rooted in a commitment to making legal support accessible for everyone. We

offer flexible pricing options to ensure high-quality legal support is accessible to all, especially those facing financial challenges.

25/08/2026

International Dog Day is the perfect time to introduce you to the newest member of the Johnston Ryan Legal team: CRUMPET! 😍

Despite only being with us for a couple of weeks, Crumpet has already taken to her duties extremely well. These include (but are certainly not limited to) accepting/demanding pats from everyone she meets, snacking, snoozing, and being absolutely adorable. 💚

Wishing you and your perfect pooches a very happy International Dog Day! 🐾

20/08/2026

If you’re experiencing family violence, concerns about your living situation can make an already overwhelming situation even harder. You may be worried about ending your lease, losing your bond or having nowhere else to go.

In Victoria, you may be able to apply to VCAT to:

• end your rental agreement early without paying the usual lease-break costs
• stay in the property under a new agreement that does not include the person using violence
• have a new agreement created even if your name is not currently on the lease

If your home no longer feels safe, you don’t have to navigate your legal options alone. Contact Johnston Ryan Legal for clear, compassionate advice about your next steps. 💚

🔗 www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au

18/08/2026

8.5 days.

That is the average time people seeking family violence support in Victoria wait to be assigned a case manager.

When you are experiencing family violence, those 8.5 days can feel like an eternity.

Without safe housing, financial assistance or somewhere else to go, the person using violence may pressure, manipulate or threaten you into staying or returning.

In that time, the violence may escalate with devastating and, in the worst cases, fatal consequences.

When you reach out for help, every day matters.

A Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) can deliver swift legal protection by preventing the person using violence from contacting or approaching you.

If you or someone you care about needs help applying for an FVIO, arrange a consultation via our website.

🌐 www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 000

17/08/2026

What happens when Victoria’s specialist family violence services lack the capacity to meet demand?

Thousands of victim-survivors receive only some of the critical assistance they need - or no support at all.

As the Australian Government develops its Second Action Plan for 2027–2032 under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children, properly funding specialist services must be a priority.

Reaching out for help takes enormous courage. Victim-survivors need a system with the capacity to respond when they ask for support.

Not days later. Not only in part. And never not at all.

Read the Equity Economics report at the link below.

🔗 www.equityeconomics.com.au/report-archive/costs-and-benefits-vic

03/08/2026

Family violence doesn’t just happen in romantic relationships.

We recently worked with a client, Sarah*, whose relationship with her sister broke down while caring for ageing parents and navigating a terminal diagnosis.

When things reached breaking point, a Family Violence Intervention Order (FVIO) was needed to keep Sarah, her husband and children, as well as her parents, safe.

Read the full case study on our website.

🔗 www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au/blog/sibling-fv

(*not her real name)

27/07/2026

As we share this, yet another woman has been murdered in Clyde North, allegedly by a man known to her. He was taken into custody on Monday, July 27.

She is the 42nd woman murdered in Australia this year in acts of alleged family and gender-based violence (via Australian Femicide Watch).

Listen to our BONUS EPISODE of Your Legal Big Sister unpacking Pauline Hanson’s recent comments on family violence, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

🔗 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/bonus-episode-unpacking-pauline-hansons-comments-about/id1887447454?i=1000778482434
🔗 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/46LVfhe3lVa7nOhR7fK4xR

25/07/2026

Pauline Hanson has had a lot to say this week about victim-survivors of family violence, from calling DFV a “two-way street” to suggesting that women being abused by men just “shouldn’t put up with it.”

This ‘advice’ is not just simplistic; it is extremely dangerous.

Keep an eye on your podcast feeds as we’ll be dropping a bonus episode of Your Legal Big Sister in the coming days unpacking Hanson’s comments in more detail.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s the time. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 🎧

21/07/2026

Have you ever spotted a “Quick Exit” button tucked in the corner of a website?

If you click it, it will immediately close the webpage and take you to Google or another commonly used website.

Quick Exit buttons are designed to protect victim-survivors who are researching support services or learning about their legal rights.

It is not always safe to search for information on your computer or phone, especially if someone is watching your online activity.

When you visit our website, the Quick Exit feature lets you leave the page in an instant. This way, you can explore our services safely and reach out whenever you are ready. 💚

🌐 www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au

19/07/2026

📱 On Monday, 27 July 2026, a test alert will be sent to all mobile devices in Australia.

If your phone is switched on during the test, it will blast a siren-like sound for around 10 seconds before falling silent.

The alert will still sound even if your device is set to silent or Do Not Disturb.

The test is scheduled for:

⏰ 12:00 pm AWST in Western Australia
⏰ 1:30 pm ACST in the Northern Territory and South Australia
⏰ 2:00pm AEST in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and the ACT

For many people facing family violence, a hidden phone is a lifeline. A sudden, blaring alert from one of these devices could put them in serious danger.

To stop your phone from receiving the test alert:

🚨 Turn off your mobile device or switch it to aeroplane mode one hour before the test.
🚨 Keep your device off or in aeroplane mode during the test and for 24 hours after.

If you have a hidden phone, consider giving it to someone you trust or leaving it in a safe place, like at work or with a friend, before July 27.

💚 Family violence support:

📞 1800-RESPECT: 1800 737 732
📞 13YARN: 13 92 76

If you are worried about your immediate safety (and you feel safe to do so), call 000

17/07/2026

How do we break the cycle of family violence? ⛓️‍💥

It’s far from easy or straightforward. But changes to counselling requirements under Victoria’s 2026 family violence law reforms are a step in the right direction.

It’s far from easy or straightforward. But changes to counselling requirements under Victoria’s 2026 family violence law reforms are a step in the right direction.

Under the new legislation, perpetrators who meet certain criteria are now required to participate in approved counselling programs.

These counselling programs are designed to help them understand the root causes of their actions, recognise and address their own trauma, and stop the cycle of harm.

For victim-survivors, it can be extremely painful when the person who hurt them denies, minimises, or excuses their abuse, leaving the victim to pick up the pieces.

Victim-survivors should never have to carry the burden of changing someone who harmed them or their children.

That responsibility belongs to the person who used violence, and our legislation must ensure more perpetrators are held accountable and supported to change their behaviour for good.

🌐 www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au

Address

Sydney Road
Coburg, VIC
3058

Website

http://www.johnstonryanlegal.com.au/

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