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
Viv Waller outside County Court Vic
Prosecutor of the Faith
Prosecutor of the Faith
2013-11-06

Melbourne lawyer Vivian Waller has spent nearly two decades chasing justice for hundreds of victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. And it's nowhere near over.

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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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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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Media Release: Melbourne Response compensation cap increased
Media Release: Melbourne Response compensation cap increased
2016-11-23

Whilst Waller Legal maintain the view that the imposition of a cap on redress is unfairly restrictive, the increase signals a positive step forward to recognising and compensating survivors of child sexual abuse in a way that more closely reflects the magnitude of the harm that they have suffered.

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Choirboy welcomes sentence, says Pell's appeal still hangs over him
Choirboy welcomes sentence, says Pell's appeal still hangs over him
2019-03-13

The man who as a young choirboy was sexually abused by George Pell in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral says he finds it hard to take any comfort from the cardinal's six-year jail sentence.

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Cardinal George Pell sentenced to six years in prison
Cardinal George Pell sentenced to six years in prison
2019-03-12

The cardinal was convicted on five counts in December, making him the most senior Catholic official — and the first bishop — to be found guilty in a criminal court for sexually abusing minors, according to BishopAccountability.org, which tracks cases of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy.

Learn More ›
Testimonials

  • 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

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

    KF

  • You are a wonderful warrior for truth and justice.

    Mary

  • I have thought of you often and the journey and the process of the last couple of years.  As a survivor you can think that every end step will be closure—arrest, guilt, sentencing, criminal case finished, civil case complete.  But there is never really an end.  Each part of the process is just a step closer to healing and closure.  You and your staff did a fab job of walking me through the civil case.

    For six months the money has sat idle in an account I can’t touch.  It feels as though if I touch it I am accepting it as silence money and once again feeling gagged.  But I am getting there.  It will be used towards a fresh start.  Hope for a more whole and healed future.  Thank you for being part of the process.

    Thank you for your professionalism, support, and persistence.

    KD

  • I would like to thank you for acting on behalf in regards to the Christian Brothers.  Your logo “in pursuit of justice” says it all.  I didn’t know what to expect and very nearly withdrew from the whole process, but I am happy I didn’t.

    The most rewarding aspect for me was the sensitivity and warmth shown by you in relation to a very complex and emotional matter.  Also the knowledge that there are people willing to stand up on behalf of people like me has a healing effect.  I would also like to thank your staff for their warm and professional matter in this whole process.  You said to me during the phone appointment that you counted it a privilege to act for people like me.  Well Dr Waller, the privilege was all mine.  I wish you all the best in the future.

    JC

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

    E, L & J

  • Thank you so much for all of your hard work this year getting my VOCAT application together, and for the fantastic outcome. While I am still dealing with the emotional ramifications of what happened to me, I now feel like I have the means to continue rebuilding myself and my life. Thank you.

    CC

  • 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

  • I feel so fortunate to have gone through this with you and your great team.

    The delicate way you approach very sensitive issues made this whole process a lot more comfortable than I would ever have imagined.  I will forever be grateful to you and your amazing team for taking my case.

    From me and all the other survivors, thank you so much.

    N,M,J

  • It is with both great relief and admiration that I write this letter to you. A consummate professional and an amazingly beautiful human being you are. Thank you for doing such an exemplary job in resolving these issues for me, and supporting me with both compassion and instruction as my representative throughout this ordeal. I am painfully aware that no amount of retribution / compensation can replace what was taken, but I am hoping it can propel myself forward to achieve some sort of normality in my life. With respect and gratitude.

    JZ
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