LSB July 2022 LR

LAW IN THE COMMUNITY
What do you think are the main factors
contributing to the types of problem
women experience when they come to
you for help?
It is more difficult for temporary
visa holders to access financial help and
housing and accommodation due to their
visa status which does contribute to their
increased vulnerability and the ability
for perpetrators of violence to continue
to abuse these women. COVID-19 also
did and continues to provide a legitimate
excuse for perpetrators of violence to
use when attempting to isolate victims
and their children. As such the challenge
for women seeking assistance from us is
that the current external environment has
created the perfect storm with regards to
increasing their level of vulnerabilities.
I must admit at this point, that we have
been fortunate that women who access our
services are also able to access non-legal
supports within the organization. We have
financial counsellors, family advocates
and will have on board within the next
few weeks, mental health specialists to
assist our clients as they navigate the legal
system. Without the support of these
specialist services it would be difficult to
manage the complexities of our clients
legal and non-legal needs.
Do you find you have to turn some
people away due to lack of resources?
If so, do you know approximately how
many you have to turn away, and do
you try to direct them towards other
avenues they could pursue?
The reality for a service like ours,
and my program which has only two
solicitors working within it, is that demand
far outstrips our resources. We have on
average between 2,000 to 2,500 women
reach out to us each year seeking help. The
sad reality is that we can only help about
15 per cent of the women who contact
us. Therefore 85 per cent of women are
not able to obtain legal help from us. We
refer women to legal assistance providers
like ours and to private legal practitioners
where it is appropriate to do so. We also
provide over 4,000 referrals to community
services, and government agencies.
What are some of the ways that
Women’s Legal Service (SA) has a
positive impact on women?
We have already had a few women
who have successfully obtained permanent
residency through our program. We
have assisted most in providing further
documentation or information where
possible to apply for either permanent
residency or a new temporary visa which
have either been successful or are being
assessed. In relation to family law matters
we have assisted women in relation to
children’s issues and a small amount of
property matters.
For our clients the main feeling they
would experience is relief. Living in limbo
and not knowing whether they can stay
in Australia and whether they would be
able to continue to be in their children’s
lives due to their immigration status has
a massive burden on their emotional
wellbeing. Many of our clients come from
countries where it is not safe for them
or their children to return to, as such any
help to assist them in remaining in safety
where they do not live in constant fear has
a profound impact on their lives and the
lives and futures of their children.
How are people directed towards your
services? Do you find that the majority
of people who need legal assistance
know where to go, or have you found
there is a significant lack of awareness
about CLCs and who people should
contact for suitable legal assistance?
There are many referral pathways to
accessing our service. For my program
clients are usually referred to us through:
• Red Cross Australia
• domestic violence services and
• other community services.
We find that awareness of Women’s
Legal Service SA and the services we
provide is increasing, however, we
recognise that we do need to continue to
work hard in maintaining relationships
with external stakeholders and community
groups so as to raise awareness. For the
women who access my program they are
often surprised by the fact that there is
free legal help available.
I do feel that in South Australia there
needs to be greater awareness about
community legal centers and the role that
we provide in helping the community. It is
very easy to get in contact with us and we
encourage everyone to reach out and ask
questions if you are unsure as to whether
we can help a woman.
Have there been any initiatives at
your CLC to enhance access to legal
services?
Because we are a state-wide service, we
have an extensive outreach calendar that
covers over 13 different locations across
South Australia. We also provide free
community legal education workshops to
community organisations and community
groups. We are always exploring new ways
of increasing access to legal help for as
many women as possible.
One initiative that we are proud of is
the “Ask MARIA” app which is an app
that provides general information on a
wide range of issues including finance,
housing, immigration and respectful
relationships in nine different languages.
The app is unique because it allows
women to obtain information in audible
form. This is really useful because there
is a significant cohort of women who are
not literate in their own language. This
app allows women to be able to access the
information they need and to link in with
services in their own regional areas. B
July 2022 THE BULLETIN 9