Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has joined the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA) to provide pro bono legal support for victims of domestic abuse.
Lawyers from HSF Kramer will work in collaboration with counterparts from eleven law firms, offering legal advice and representation to survivors of domestic abuse. The service is available to individuals across England and Wales who are ineligible for legal aid, but unable to afford private representation.
"Shockingly, one in five adults experience domestic abuse. Access to justice, for each and every one of them, is crucial, yet for many it remains out of reach. By joining DARA we hope to help bridge that gap and ensure that vulnerable individuals can secure the protective court orders they need to rebuild their lives with safety and security" says Charlie Morgan, partner at HSF Kramer.
As a member of DARA the firm will assist domestic abuse survivors apply to the Family Court for non-molestation orders, a type of injunction which seeks to ensure victim-survivors are protected from domestic abuse, whether that be online, physical contact, threats of violence or property damage. The firm's lawyers will provide full support from the start of a case through to conducting court advocacy.
"For so many survivors of domestic abuse, legal protection is out of reach. That may be due to a lack of funding, an overly complex legal system or, often, the terrifying prospect of facing their abuser in court. Many of these individuals have no choice but to return to life-threatening relationships" says Sam Cottman, founder of DARA.
By joining DARA, HSF Kramer is continuing a long history of providing pro bono support to victim-survivors and the organisations working to prevent family violence.
Recent examples include advice provided by our New York team to survivors of domestic violence referred through charity partner Sanctuary for Families, and ongoing casework across our Australian offices to support people experiencing homelessness and family violence, as well as policy work to improve compensation schemes for victims of family violence and other crimes. This includes our longstanding work with Justice Connect’s Women’s Homelessness Prevention Project in Melbourne, LawRight’s Community & Health Justice Partnerships in Brisbane and The Shopfront Youth Legal Service in Sydney.