SA legal aid for domestic violence soars

Domestic violence is believed to play a part in more than half of the family law disputes brought to the South Australia's legal aid service.

Legal Services Commission of South Australia director Gabrielle Canny says the service has experienced an 18 per cent increase in family law disputes over the past year, with over half of them considered to have links with domestic violence.

An unprecedented number of phone calls - 80,000 - have also been received with callers seeking legal advice and a 10 per cent rise in the number of legal aid grants over the same period, according to the commission's annual report.

But Ms Canny said despite these demand increases, the service has lost $10 million in federal and state funding over the next four years.

"There's been a sharp rise in the numbers of disintegrating South Australian families seeking legal assistance... so it is disappointing to see our recurrent Commonwealth funding being cut significantly," she told AAP on Wednesday.