Social enterprise law firm Salvos Legal announced the firm is expanding into Victoria and will open its first Humanitarian legal service in the Melbourne CBD.

Together with the firm’s free legal services currently provided throughout New South Wales, Queensland and national telephone service for rural and remote areas, Salvos Legal Humanitarian will now provide full coverage of the Eastern seaboard, directly benefiting the communities of Salvos Legal’s commercial clients in all three States.

Salvos Legal’s ‘profit for purpose’ model means that its commercial law arm operates like any other commercial law firm, however, all profits are used to fund its humanitarian arm, Salvos Legal Humanitarian. The Melbourne Head Office and associated Advice Bureaus will build on the pioneering work of Salvos Legal in NSW and Queensland.

Criminal lawyer, Darryl Annett, has joined Salvos Legal as a Humanitarian Partner and will lead the growth and development of the new Melbourne service.

Luke Geary, founder and Managing Partner of Salvos Legal and Salvos Legal Humanitarian commented said, “It’s wonderful that we are able to build on the success of our social enterprise model over the past six years and expand into Victoria.  Having a Melbourne headquarters for our Humanitarian work will allow us to extend our reach and serve a diverse range of communities who otherwise do not have access to government funded legal services.”

“We are delighted to welcome Darryl on board as a Humanitarian Partner. Darryl is an outstanding member of the Victorian legal profession and an expert in the field of criminal law.  Salvos Legal has collaborated with Darryl on a number of cases in recent years and his expertise will add to the depth of our Humanitarian practice groups which are already seeing around 200 cases each week for free,” he said.

“Once our Melbourne Salvos Legal Humanitarian service is fully operational, I anticipate we will be able to service almost 300 cases each week throughout Australia, at no cost to government or Salvation Army donors.  This is all thanks to the support we receive from our commercial fee paying clients who trust us as their legal advisers, many of whom are headquartered in Melbourne.”

Commenting on his new role as Salvos Legal Humanitarian Partner, Darryl Annett, said, “In these straitened times, when government-funded legal aid programs are being wound back, many disadvantaged people have little prospect of accessing legal support or the expertise of someone who can represent their interests and give them sound advice.  The Salvos have the signature characteristic of being there to catch people as they fall between the cracks, and in the practice of law, Salvos Legal plays a critical role in supporting this group of people.”