Karen Cox has been involved in the community law movement for nearly three decades, including 23 years at Financial Rights Legal Centre where she has been the CEO since 2018. The Centre provides advice and advocacy for consumers in relation to consumer credit, debt, banking and insurance. A lawyer by training, Karen began her career at the Campbelltown Legal Centre in 1991, specialising in supporting and assisting vulnerable women, especially in relation to family violence, before moving to Financial Rights Legal Centre in late 1999 on a Family Breakdown and Debt project. Karen has overseen the growth of the Centre from a small operation focussed on consumer credit to a multi-disciplinary service with a mixture of State and National services and a strong presence in national law reform and policy development.
The Insurance Law Service at Financial Rights Legal Centre commenced in 2007, providing free advice and assistance to consumers of insurance across Australia. The Centres advises thousands of insurance consumers annually and regularly contributes to national debates about improving regulation, codes of conduct and industry practice to improve outcomes for consumers.