03 9415 9999 03 9415 9999
  • Catholic Clergy Abuse - General
    Catholic Clergy Abuse - General
    Dr Viv Waller has acted in claims against Catholic Clergy since 1995. Waller Legal has recovered compensation for the victims of Catholic Priests such as Frs Baker, Ridsdale, Kevin O'Donnell, D'Cruz, Gannon, Glennon, Gubbels, Frank Klep, Bernard Day & Pidoto.
  • Catholic Clergy Abuse - Melbourne Response
    Catholic Clergy Abuse - Melbourne Response
    Melbourne Response is an alternative dispute resolution process designed to provide redress to victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by priests, religious and lay persons who fall within the jurisdiction of the Melbourne Archdiocese.
  • Civil Litigation
    Civil Litigation
    Civil Litigation in the County And Supreme Courts of Victoria. In our pursuit of justice for sexual assault survivors Waller Legal has run common law cases for compensation against; Individual offenders such as family members, teachers, doctors, psychologists and religious figures;
  • Claims for Indigenous & Travel to Remote Communities
    Claims for Indigenous & Travel to Remote Communities
    If you have been the victim of a crime of violence or sexual assault then please contact our office so we may assess your application and obtain financial assistance, counselling, medical or other expenses that may help with your recovery.
  • Royal Commission & Redress Schemes
    Royal Commission & Redress Schemes
    Established in January 2013, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is investigating how institutions like schools, churches and sporting groups responded to allegations of child sexual abuse.
  • Sentencing Act Applications
    Sentencing Act Applications
    If you have been the victim of a crime for which the offender was convicted please contact our office urgently. Any Sentencing Act Application for compensation must be made within 12 months of the date of the conviction.
  • State Ward Claims
    State Ward Claims
    Dr Viv Waller has acted for former wards of the state of Victoria since 1997 when she commenced group litigation on behalf of many former residents of the Ballarat Orphanage who were abused in care.
  • Victim of Crimes Assistance Tribunal
    Victim of Crimes Assistance Tribunal
    If you have been the victim of a crime of violence or sexual assault then please contact our office so we may assess your application and obtain financial assistance, counselling, medical or other expenses that may help with your recovery.

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Waller Legal is a high profile legal practice dedicated to helping victims of crime, particularly those who have been sexually assaulted. We offer "No Win No Charge" arrangements so lack of funds will never prevent access to justice for meritorious cases.

Waller Legal

in Pursuit of Justice

Waller Legal is a high profile legal practice dedicated to assisting people who have been sexually assaulted and people who were physically, sexually or psychologically abused or neglected when they were a child.

We listen. We act. Our job is to help people to obtain compensation. We also represent witnesses at Royal Commission hearings and we agitate for law reform and a National Redress Scheme.

We look after child abuse survivors. Unlike other firms, we don’t do anything else.

 

"No Win No Charge"

We offer "No Win No Charge" arrangements so lack of funds will never prevent access to justice for good causes.  If we offer a No Win No Charge arrangement we also fund disbursements so that there are no upfront costs.

 

Why Choose Waller Legal?

  • Experienced, independent and fearless legal advice.
  • Dedicated representation of sexual assault survivors since 1995.
  • Strength in numbers.  Chances are, we are already involved in cases against the same offender, institution or defendant.  
  • We have an extensive archive of data that we can use to research and corroborate your case.
  • We are not new to the scene.  We are a well-established legal practice that has been dedicated to this type of work since day one.  Dr Waller has been representing survivors since 1995 – long before the Parliamentary Inquiry or Royal Commission were announced.    
  • Waller Legal was established in 2007 and has always specialised in sexual assault and victims of crime matters.
  • We work closely with victim support groups, psychologists, the Centres Against Sexual Assault (CASAs), mental health care professionals, the broader legal profession and the community.
  • No claim is too big or too small. From a straightforward application to the Victims of Crime Tribunal to complex High Court Appeals, Waller Legal has the relevant experience.
Waller Legal welcomes the announcement of a Federal Redress scheme. At this stage very few details are available, however, we will monitor future developments closely and are working hard to ensure that we are ready to respond once further details are announced.

If you would like to be added to the Waller Legal Redress Register, please don’t hesitate to call us on 03 9415 9999. 

For further details and updates regarding the Federal Redress scheme, please see our Royal Commission and Redress page.  

Waller Legal media release in relation to the recently announced National Redress Scheme

Religious order accused of impeding sex abuse investigation - Charlotte King, aired on AM, 23 December 2015

New report slams Catholic Church's handling of child sex abuse allegations against its clergy - Fran Kelly, aired on Radio National Breakfast, 15 September 2015

In pursuit of justice
In The News
Media Release: Royal Commission Case Study 22 into Yeshivah Media Release 29 November 2016
Media Release: Royal Commission Case Study 22 into Yeshivah Media Release 29 November 2016
2016-11-29

Waller Legal welcomes the release today of the Royal Commission’s Report of Case Study No. 22 into the response of Yeshiva Bondi and Yeshivah Melbourne to allegations of child sexual abuse made against people associated with those institutions.

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Viv Waller
George Pell’s victim reveals he cannot ‘take comfort’ in disgraced cardinal’s sentencing
George Pell’s victim reveals he cannot ‘take comfort’ in disgraced cardinal’s sentencing
2019-03-13

The man whose child sex abuse testimony brought down George Pell has spoken about the disgraced cardinal’s sentencing. "It is hard for me to allow myself to feel the gravity of this moment. The moment when the sentence is handed down. The moment when justice is done," the unidentified victim said in a statement read by his lawyer, Dr Vivian Waller.

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Federal Redress Scheme Announcement
Federal Redress Scheme Announcement
2017-10-26

Introduction Bill for Proposed Federal Redress Scheme

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Q&A: A Church in Crisis
Q&A: A Church in Crisis
2019-03-04

Dr Vivian Waller formed part of the panel on Q&A

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'Exemplary' teacher guilty of sex abuse of ex-student still working in classroom
'Exemplary' teacher guilty of sex abuse of ex-student still working in classroom
2017-02-02

Man allowed to teach after pleading guilty to sex abuse of former student

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Media Release: George Pell's victim responds to the cardinal's conviction of child sex abuse
Media Release: George Pell's victim responds to the cardinal's conviction of child sex abuse
2019-02-26

Statement read by Dr Vivian Waller outside the County Court of Victoria

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Testimonials

  • Thank you so much for your efforts in this matter, and your patience with my frustrations as well.

    BQ

  • I do not think that words can fully express my gratitude, but I will try.  It took me a number of years to decide to proceed with legal action for my abuse claim.  I had heard about Waller Legal from a friend and I must say that all he said was correct, in that they are awesome, sympathetic, etc.  But not ever what he told me prepared me for the experience that I had dealing with Waller Legal.  Firstly, Elisa.  You are a lovely empathetic soul who I truly felt comfortable dealing with.  You were even able to make me laugh on my down days of going through and discussing legal issues pertaining to my case.  It was a pleasure dealing with you. Thank you so much.

    Vivian Waller you too are amazing both as a person and as a legal representative.  I felt so comfortable with you from our very first meeting.  You spoke like a sister to me, not just as a lawyer.  Your legal ability is truly outstanding and you represented me with 110% effort always.  You made the hearing easy for me, as I had total confidence in you.

    For everyone who is hesitant to make a claim against an abuser, please do not hesitate to have Vivian and her staff represent you.  Truly amazing people.  Thanks so much again.

    JF

  • Yes indeed, thank you Vivian for your perseverance and dedication in doing whatever you can to bring about some justice in the absence of a full ecclesiastical council/court to judge publicly those who have violated not only the natural law, but the law of God in whose name these violations have taken place.

    Kathleen

  • Dear Viv and Staff, thank you so much. You are all wonderful.

    E, L & J

  • You are a wonderful warrior for truth and justice.

    Mary

  • Everything is different now.  My journey is over now.

    KF

  • Six years after the settlement:

    It has been a long and well-travelled road for our girl, but I never thought I would see the day when she is as happy as she is now.  I was so happy when she decided to study nursing!  The settlement that she received enabled her to study full time over the past three years without having to worry about working while studying.

    What happened to our daughter, and to us as a family, will never go away, however, our daughter has managed to pick up the fragments of her life and move on. The horrors of what have happened will not disappear, perhaps just fade as more joyful occasions occur in her life.

    I want all of you to know what a tower of strength and support you were to all of us and that without you, our daughter’s life would have turned out very differently.

    You are always in our thoughts with gratitude for what you achieved.

    TJ

  • Thank you Vivian, I really appreciate all your help, you have given me a second chance in life.

    RF

  • What Dr Waller has achieved for me is nothing short of a miracle.  At the age of 60 I was feeling very upset at the abuse that I had encountered as a very young girl at the hands of a Salesian Brother.  My dealings with the Salesians many years later to try and resolve the matter left a very bitter taste in my mouth.  In fact, they made me feel abused all over again.  Vivian Waller was referred to me by Broken Rites, and that was the day my life changed.  I am so grateful that my words feel a little trite.

    Vivian has a no nonsense approach, keeps you on track, is honest, and like a dog with a bone, she keeps you going to have the desired outcome.  The world needs more Vivians.  Myself and my family are forever grateful to you.  Thanks mate, you’re my hero.

    Cathie

  • Again we cannot thank you enough for all your dedication and hard work over the past few years, we would not have made it without your persistence and dogged determination to get this to settlement stage, many others would have settled for less. We now have a girl who has beaten the odds, and whose self esteem has rocketed, is confident, and especially is calm!

    We wish you all good things in life, as without lawyers like yourself who will take the risk of taking on the "untouchables" we would not have kept our girl on track or most importantly, alive. The road for her is still to be traveled, but this will assist in making the journey less troubled, and we hope with time and continued therapy she will see herself as a complete person and not as a shadow of who she could be.

    You will be forever in our thoughts.

    TJ
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