VICTIMS of family violence will soon have another avenue for affordable legal representation in court with a scheme funded by Legal Aid NSW.
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Called the Domestic Violence Panel, the scheme involves Legal Aid paying for private lawyers to represent people wanting to take out private apprehended domestic violence orders.
Applications for lawyers interested in participating in the scheme closed this week.
Some people wanting to take out private AVOs are put off from seeking the protection because they do not want to represent themselves or cannot afford a lawyer.
Helen West, of the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service in Wagga, welcomed the development and said she hoped local lawyers had applied to be on the panel.
The development comes as Wagga police continue to grapple with an alarming rate of family violence – 17 reports last weekend – and mayor Greg Conkey holding a summit on Tuesday to discuss an ongoing action plan in the city.
