Friend of mine recently told me legal aid is no longer available for 'family' cases ie if I wanted to apply for custody of my son I would have to pay for it myself now. Anyone know if this is true and if so are there any excemptions?
Legal aid for family law
- Thread starter Alphane
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Deleted member 66701
Deleted member 66701
Yes it's true and no there aren't any exemptions.
Did you not know justice and legal defence is the preserve of the rich?
Did you not know justice and legal defence is the preserve of the rich?
Caporegime
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- 13 May 2003
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What would it cost financially if you represented yourself?
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Your chances of custody in all probability.
Have they just not updated their web page then?
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governm...orcivilpartnership/Planningadivorce/DG_193733
As this still says you may be eligible for Legal Aid in a divorce
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governm...orcivilpartnership/Planningadivorce/DG_193733
As this still says you may be eligible for Legal Aid in a divorce
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Caporegime
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- 13 May 2003
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If this has been stopped too then I'm off to make a lot of money from legal insurance for divorce / custody battles / tribunals.
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Yeah the legal aid bill going through is another cluster*cough* of epic proportions by the Tories currently getting savaged in the Lords
This is what I mean...has it gone through or is it still just a proposed reform?
Yes, it true, because the taxpayer is not there to pay to sort out your personal life via the courts. There is an increase in funding available for arbitration however, which is much more efficient for the taxpayer.
Hasn't quite gone through yet, it's in the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill that is currently going through the Lords. The only thing that has gone through now is 10% reduction in fees that legal aid will pay, rather than the eligibility.
Hasn't quite gone through yet, it's in the legal aid, sentencing and punishment of offenders bill that is currently going through the Lords. The only thing that has gone through now is 10% reduction in fees that legal aid will pay, rather than the eligibility.
If you have no money, you have no money. There is also the issue that a successful custody petition would, at least in part, depend on your financial position and your ability to give the child a suitable environment. Bankrupting yourself on legal fees would certainly be counter-productive to any legal challenge in the first place.
I can see money being an issue if courts where involved, and yes in practice it’s probably not something that applies to everything...
But the way I see things, If you going to have or make the decision to have a child in your life, you should at least be as financially prepared/stable as you can be.
Going to court is a financial commitment these days, but surely your child is worth the hard work and financial strain?
People should not "rely" on funding for things which ultimately are their own responsibility.
Maybe if the shoe was on the other foot I might see things differently
my wife has just got full custody back of her daughter today
she has been back living with us though for the past few months in the interim until the final hearing, but last we heard total legal fees had come to just over £42,000!! theres no way we could have paid that over the past year! what we have had to pay has been hard enough - glad we got in on time otherwise poor girl may have still been with the psycho dad!
she has been back living with us though for the past few months in the interim until the final hearing, but last we heard total legal fees had come to just over £42,000!! theres no way we could have paid that over the past year! what we have had to pay has been hard enough - glad we got in on time otherwise poor girl may have still been with the psycho dad!
Hope that never happens mate