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Free legal aid a ‘game-changer’ for those fleeing family violence in B.C.

‘Access to much-needed legal representation has been a significant barrier,’ says Ann Davis rep
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Patti MacAhonic, executive director of Ann Davis Transition Society. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress file)

An injection of $29.1 million from the provincial government for free legal aid to those fleeing family violence is going to be nothing short of a game-changer.

“This is wonderful news,” said Patti MacAhonic, executive director of the Ann Davis Transition Society in Chilliwack.

“We provide legal advocacy services but access to much-needed legal representation has been a significant barrier.”

Up until this point, the likelihood that those with the “deepest pockets” would win in the family-law arena has created an unfair playing field for women — particularly during custody disputes or in division of assets.

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Jennifer Feinberg

About the Author: Jennifer Feinberg

I have been a Chilliwack Progress reporter for 20+ years, covering the arts, city hall, as well as Indigenous, and climate change stories.
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