This paper details a review conducted by the Parenting Research Centre (PRC) and the University of Melbourne at the request of Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS). It forms part of a broader project – PAThways and Research In Collaborative InterAgency working, or the PATRICIA project – led by the University of Melbourne with partners from five universities, three government departments and eight community sector organisations which specialise in domestic and family violence (DFV).

The PATRICIA project focuses on the relationship between statutory child protection, family law, and community based services which seek to support women and children exposed to domestic violence. This review aims to address the following research question:
What processes or practices do child protection services and specialist domestic violence services or family law engage in so that they can work better together to improve service responses for women and children living with and separating from family violence?