| The plight of those suffering at the hand of domestic | | | | "Women are ringing back 15 to 20 times trying to get |
| violence has been the centre of attention for many | | | | through," RoW's senior legal officer, Cate Briddick, |
| government officials and legal commentators. | | | | said earlier this week. |
| Previous governments have worked tirelessly to | | | | Things are bad, and this was before legal aid was |
| develop a network of specialised domestic violence | | | | slashed, and there was the threat of closure for |
| courts and pass legislation such as the Domestic | | | | many family firms who provide legal aid work. |
| Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, in order to | | | | Briddick remarked that is was "absolutely devastating. |
| protect those victims. | | | | We are in a bad situation at the moment and it's |
| But those women who are trying to leave abusive | | | | going to get worse." It seems that there will be a |
| and dangerous relationships find it frustrating to find | | | | particular client group that will be unfairly affected by |
| legal advice, according to solicitors in London. | | | | the tending process of legal aid. |
| The Legal Services Commission have attempted to | | | | But legal aid is not the sole factor in this problem. |
| try and enable women in difficult situation to find | | | | Teresa Hoey, a manager at Solance remarked that it |
| publicly funded legal help. This was done in a variety | | | | would be a culmination of issues, such as cuts in |
| of forms. The upper income limit for determining | | | | state benefits, housing benefits, as well as legal |
| eligibility was waived. But this still does not solve the | | | | concerns, meaning that "we're in danger of returning |
| problem as the organisation Rights of Women | | | | to the position of the early 1970s, when there were |
| (RoW), records 90,000 a year, with advisors only | | | | no options for women wanting to escape violent and |
| being able to help over 1,500 women. | | | | abusive partners". |