A Senate committee has told the Government to reverse its budget cuts to legal services because they are increasing the danger of domestic violence.

The interim report by the Senate Finance Committee was released yesterday.

Greens senator Larissa Waters said that was to pressure the Government as it prepares its next budget.

"The funding cuts that the Abbott Government wrought on the community legal sector as well as the housing sector are forcing women to choose between violence and homelessness," Senator Waters said.

"We heard legal centre, after legal centre say that they had had to lay off lawyers who would otherwise be able to help people get some justice and access to the courts and protect themselves and their children.

"And if that is going to fall on deaf ears because of some confected budget crisis, then humanity is dead in this place."

Committee chairperson Kate Lundy told the Senate that in her electorate of the ACT, there have been three homicides in three weeks that have been attributed in some way to family violence.

Senator Waters said she was frustrated at the failure to implement earlier recommendations like one to recognise domestic violence orders nationally.

"[The recommendation ensures] that a woman who has fled the state to try and stay free from violence doesn't have to rego through that court process again," she said.

She said it was a great initiative that was part of the first national action plan in 2010.

"Why are we still waiting for this to be implemented?" she asked.

Senator Lundy said it was not easy for the Coalition Senators on the committee.

She said they were discomforted by the strong recommendations asking or recommending that the Government restore the funding cuts "as a baseline for new better and more effective policy". But Senator Lundy argued it had to be said.

Bernardi admits problem with legal services

Liberal senator Cory Bernardi said as it was an interim report, he has reserved his position.

He said he was disappointed the committee sought to blame the Government "and ignored many of the things that the Government has done".

But he conceded there is a problem with legal services.

"There are a range of deficiencies across the system I have to admit that," he said.

"A lot of these quite frankly are delivered by state and territory governments and they've had issues with ongoing funding and we need to examine how we can best redress that.

"But you know the Commonwealth Government can't do everything and the Commonwealth Government has committed $100 million over the next four years to support the second action plan which includes money for CrimTrac and research and national data collection."

Senator Bernardi said it also included the launch and continued funding of 1800RESPECT, which is the first national professional telephone and online counselling service.

He also reflected on his involvement in the inquiry saying it meant he confronted issues he had never turned his mind to in the past.

"Just going to the hearings you get some people who are extreme on all ends but it is quite harrowing to think the circumstances in which some women principally find themselves in — and they don't know where to go, they don't know what to do. It's awful," he said.

"It's been a very positive experience for me, I have to say, and hopefully it will flow through in the Government."

The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader plan to meet and talk about how they can work together against family violence.

Next month's Council of Australian Governments meeting will also focus on domestic violence.

In addition, the Government has announced $30 million for an awareness campaign. It will fund half of the campaign and the states and territories will fund the remaining $15 million.