Divorce Clinic Opened in Australia to Assist Women from Foreign Cultures

The Women's Legal Centre ACT (Australian Capital Territory), in the Australian capital of Canberra, has opened a divorce clinic for women from diverse cultural backgrounds. The clinic provides free legal advice and representation to women in troubled marriages who may encounter issues navigating the Australian legal system. While obtaining a divorce may be a simple process for some women, the Centre found that foreign-born women “from different cultures often struggled to understand the legal system and battled cultural barriers.” The clinic is a unique attempt to help increase access to the legal system for this vulnerable group and make the process more supportive and less intimidating.

Hunter Metcalf is a second-year law student at the University of Colorado Law School and contributes to IAALS Online. Please direct inquiries about this post to iaals@du.edu.