Financial abuse is a form of domestic violence. It is a pattern of abusive behaviour where the abuser uses money to exert power and control over their partner.
Research by WIRE indicates that up to 90% of women seeking help from Australian domestic violence services have experienced financial abuse.
On 5 December 2019, RLC officially launched the Financial Abuse Service NSW which aims to address this hidden form of domestic violence by providing free legal assistance to people across the state. Through this legal service, systemic issues are identified and used to drive police, law reform and capacity building initiatives to improve outcomes for people who have experienced financial abuse.
A key feature of this service is the harnessing of pro bono legal assistance, which allows the service to reach ten times the number of clients it would otherwise be able to assist each fortnight. The partnerships RLC has developed with pro bono lawyers means more people get the vital legal assistance they need.
To fund and resource the Financial Abuse Service NSW, RLC sought to build strategic relationship with corporate partners in the financial sector.
The Australian Pro Bono Centre was invaluable in assisting RLC to identify and connect with like-minded corporate who were interested in pursuing pro bono opportunities where they could add value in a meaningful way and contribute to change in the financial sector.
These partnerships provide benefit both the individual lawyers and their organisations, allowing them to gain an intimate knowledge of the client experience and a greater perspective in their own work.
Read the full article here (Pro Bono Voco, 2 December 2019)
