By Henry Ea -
Justice Network, an alliance of independent Australian law firms across three states, has entered into a year-long partnership with the charity Friends with Dignity, pledging to match every dollar raised in a $10,000 drive while backing the initiative through volunteering and educational content.
Announced on Wednesday, the partnership involves all 14 boutique member firms across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria, which will operate as donation drop-off points. This provides local communities with a practical way to contribute essential items to families rebuilding their lives after experiencing domestic violence.
The network has also launched a $10,000 fundraising drive and has committed to matching every dollar raised. Beyond funding, Justice Network’s team is volunteering its time, including at the charity’s warehouse, and producing educational video content that Friends with Dignity can share directly with victim-survivors.
“Partnerships like this one with Justice Network go well beyond funding,” said Manuela Whitford, CEO and Founder of Friends with Dignity. “Domestic violence doesn’t stop at the courtroom door. Victim-survivors often need a range of practical support, resources and clear, accessible information as they work towards rebuilding their lives.”
“Having a network of law firms genuinely invested in that journey, through fundraising, hands-on volunteering, and content that supports victim-survivors directly, makes a real difference,” she said.
Friends with Dignity works with adults and children leaving violent situations, helping them re-establish safe and stable homes. The charity recently completed its 1,000th Sanctuary home and has supported more than 3,379 adults and children with essentials ranging from rent and household security to education costs.
The charity’s work is about more than the items themselves. As Dannielle Young, Head of Family Law at member firm Collective Family Law Group, explains, “Friends with Dignity doesn’t simply give someone a collection of donated household items. It helps create a home.
“A place where someone can close the door. A place where someone can begin to believe that their life belongs to them again. That is dignity in action.“
A test of what law firms can offer beyond legal advice
The initiative arrives at a moment of acute strain across both the legal assistance sector and frontline community services, with demand for domestic and family violence support outpacing available resources. That backdrop sharpens a question the partnership implicitly raises: what more can law firms do for people experiencing domestic violence, beyond legal advice?
Hayder Shkara, Director of Justice Network, argues that firms carry a responsibility to look past the immediate case. “Domestic violence isn’t simply a legal problem,” he said. “Law firms are often among the first professional services someone reaches out to when they’re going through it, and that puts a responsibility on us to look beyond the immediate legal issue.
“A court order alone doesn’t give someone a new home, replace their belongings or give them the practical means to start again,” Shkara said. “Leaving an abusive relationship can affect a person’s safety, housing, finances, employment and their ability to care for their children.”
He points to a range of ways firms can contribute. “Firms can help by funding and volunteering with frontline organisations, training staff in trauma-informed practice, establishing strong referral pathways and using their public platforms to raise awareness,” he said. “Legal advice is essential, but our responsibility should not end when the court matter does.”
Young frames the partnership as a natural fit between two organisations focused on the same thing: people. “The law can be part of someone’s pathway out, but it isn’t the whole pathway,” she said. “Someone might obtain the legal protection they need, but still have nowhere to sleep. They might leave an abusive relationship, but have no furniture for their new home.”
Young says giving back doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. “It can be donating. It can be volunteering. It can be organising a collection at your office,” she said. “One office running a collection might make a bigger difference. But multiple firms, multiple teams and multiple people working together can create real and lasting impact.”
Contributions can be made through any participating Justice Network firm across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, or via the network’s fundraising drive, for the duration of the 12-month partnership.
