“It was a lady who has suffered serious abuse at hands of her now ex-husband,” recalls Sam Cottman.
“The amount of trauma she had to endure – just to get into the court room – is a real example of the difference of having lawyers and why DARA is important,” he finishes. “Because without DARA most people in her situation give up, or have to advocate for themselves in court against an abusive partner.”
Cottman, the head of pro bono at Travers Smith, is recalling just one of the cases that DARA – the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance – has taken on since its foundation. Now numbering 10 firms, it is the largest pro bono project ever assembled to provide end-to-end representation and, crucially, advocacy support for survivors seeking protective orders against their abusers.