A one-time grant of $7.9 million from the province and the Legal Services Society has ensured a potential Legal Aid work stoppage has been avoided.
The funding agreement breaks down with $4 million from the provincial government and $3.9 million from the legal society. It will be used to increase payments to legal aid lawyers until the end of October 2019.
Legal aid lawyers wanted a long term agreement but will continue to work with the provincial government to negotiate a solution.
Richard Fowler of the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers says he is encouraged by the announcement.
"Everyday our members work extremely hard across the province helping our provinces most needy," Fowler said. "And this interim agreement and the plan to negotiate a long term agreement recognizes the important work that they do."
British Columbia Attorney General David Eby says he’s optimistic about reaching a long-term deal.
"We were able to get through a very difficult period over the last month or so," Eby said. "It required good faith from both sides, it required trust on both sides. Clearly we have that because we have reached an interim agreement."
Eby added the Government remains committed to ensuring high quality legal services to British Columbians and that includes Legal Aid services.
This grant is in addition to $26 million over three years in an increase to the Legal Services Society already announced by the government to support criminal, family and civil legal aid services.
