Social Enterprise law firm Salvos Legal has opened in Melbourne after successfully running in NSW and Queensland for the last six years.
The award-winning service has brought on experienced criminal justice lawyer Darryl Annett as their Melbourne-based humanitarian partner who will oversee the growth and development of the new branch.
“It’s significant because it’s an innovative concept which delivers a service to a whole cohort of people who otherwise miss out,” said Annett.
“In Melbourne there’s been a real focus on homelessness and the people who are on the margins, and a lot of the services and government agencies have struggled to come up with appropriate responses. It seems to me that while Salvos Legal certainly hasn’t got all the answers, it offers a significant contribution of protecting the interests of people who are missing out.”
Created with a ‘profit for purpose’ model, profits go directly towards the humanitarian arm of the organisation, Salvos Legal Humanitarian.
“Once our Melbourne Salvos Legal Humanitarian service is fully operational, I anticipate we will be able to service almost 300 cases each week through Australia, at no cost to government or Salvation Army donors,” said Luke Geary, founder and managing partner of Salvos Legal and Salvos Legal Humanitarian.
“This is all thanks to the support we receive from our commercial fee paying clients who trust as their legal advisers, many of whom are headquartered in Melbourne.”