On Saturday night we went out for dinner with a couple of friends. There we were, in the gorgeous surroundings of the Delaunay restaurant in central London, having a wonderful dinner, discussing our concerns for the future of legal aid. We
The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to cut the amount of expert witness testimony in family courts.
The department claims too many expert witnesses are paid to provide evidence of limited value. It claims that almost 90 per cent of care cases currently include expert witness
Whilst working in the public sector, I was able to see children and families going through the pain of family separation in both the public and private law arenas. At the Children’s Workforce Development Council, a quango set up to ensure those working with children
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read a certain speech by Lord McNally.
Appearing at the Grange Holborn Hotel earlier this week, the Minister of State for Justice addressed the current state of the family justice system, as well as the government’s
It is a rare solicitor who doesn't get asked, at some point in his or her career, what it is like to represent someone whom you believe to be guilty, or to whom you have taken a passionate dislike. For family lawyers, the curiosity focuses on
Family law organisation Resolution has launched a new scheme designed to help separated parents focus on the needs of their children.
Announced at Resolution’s annual conference, Family Matters will begin as a pilot
A recent ruling on legal aid could lead to deadlock in some family cases involving children, the Law Society has claimed.
In a judgement earlier this week, Mr Justice Ryder ruled that the Legal Aid Agency is not
So it seems the government has decided to throw a little more money at Britain’s Mums and Dads. It has just announced £6.5 million in funding for seven voluntary organisations working with separated parents.
‘Advice deserts’ have been predicted in different regions of the country following the introduction of legal aid cuts earlier this month.
A recent survey of 674 people working in legal aid-funded family and civil law suggests
Courts can now order one party in a divorce or separation to pay the other enough money to hire a lawyer or solicitor.
Sections 49 to 51 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 provide courts ruling on divorce, separation or declarations of nullity (annulment) with
New legislation means fewer people now have access to free legal representation than at any time since legal aid was introduced.
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) came into force
Recently retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Alan Ward used one of his final cases to condemn the government’s ‘emasculation’ of legal aid.
The judge raised the issue during a judgement issued in December on a dispute between
Imminent cuts to legal aid could “undermine the rule of law”, said Lord Neuberger, President of the Supreme Court, in a recent interview with the BBC.
He said many people would be left feeling alienated from the courts when entitlement to
Earlier this month, my latest family law book hit the online shelves. It is my first book in nearly ten years, but why now? Let’s put it this way: there is a reason why the book includes worksheets and checklists. And there is a reason why it is available on e-readers for less than
It has become something of a truism that times are tough out there. As economic correspondents and business associations never tire of reminding us, for many wages are stagnant, work scare, business hard to come by. And family lawyers are certainly not
I’ve written more than once on this blog about the rise of the ‘litigant in person’ – people who appear in court with no legal team and represent themselves. Once a relative rarity, something strictly for eccentric amateur lawyers only, the numbers of litigants in person is
The government has launched a new web app aimed at separating parents.
Sorting Out Separation offers information on the various legal, practical and childcare issues surrounding the end of relationships, including housing, money and finance, work
There is an interesting and ingenious article entitled 'Legal aid cuts? What legal aid cuts?' in this month’s edition of Family Law journal.
Written by Peter Graham Harris of the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy and Exeter College, University of Oxford
No legal system can be truly just without the respect of the society in which it operates. The victims of a criminal being led away to begin their sentence can only feel that justice has been done if they respect the system which has enacted the punishment.
Today Mr Justice Ryder published his proposals for the modernisation of family justice. Here is a summary, along with my initial thoughts.
Instead of developing a ‘divorce by app’ scheme the government should consider allowing ‘no-win, no-fee’ in family cases, says Marilyn Stowe. It has finally happened. After a slow and agonising demise legal aid has met its end at the hands of the coalition.
Concerns about how to fund a divorce are the main reasons some people choose to go it alone without a solicitor.
Divorce & Splitting Up by Marilyn Stowe is the essential how-to book for anyone who is getting divorced or splitting up from a partner. Read more >>
"A must buy that really opens your eyes to what is involved if you are considering or going through a divorce." - Amanda Brown
"This will answer your questions in a way that non-lawyers can understand." - Miss P.
"Don't get divorced without it. I read this book despite being divorced for more than 10 years. I wish I'd had this book to hand at the time. Great examples, simple to read and understand." - Jamie
"This really has helped me to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and I will come out of it a stronger person." - J
Marilyn Stowe is the Senior Partner at Stowe Family Law LLP. Stowe Family Law LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA ref 469401. Stowe Family Law LLP is registered with Companies House, ref. 331570, and registered for VAT, number 918 5722 04. A list of members is available for inspection at our Harrogate office.
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