Divorce could break the bank due to Legal Aid changes warns expert
Financially struggling spouses who want to leave well-off other halves could find themselves in trouble because of impending changes to the availability of legal aid warns one of Leicestershire’s leading family lawyers.
Financially struggling spouses who want to leave well-off other halves could find themselves in trouble because of impending changes to the availability of legal aid warns one of Leicestershire’s leading family lawyers.
Kathryn Hicklin, a partner at QualitySolicitors Mander Cruickshank, said changes surrounding family law which take place in April will affect many.
“There will virtually be no help at all to many people thinking of divorce or wanting help with children disputes and other areas of family law,” said Ms Hicklin, whose firm have offices in both Coalville and Hinckley.
“The message we need to tell people is if you think you qualify for legal aid and believe you will need the law, you need to see a solicitor now, well before the end of March,” she added.
The new legislation will cut £350m from the £2.2bn legal aid scheme by removing entire areas of law from public funding, including nearly all family advice. At present, where there is a disparity in wealth between spouses involved in a divorce state-funded legal advice can provide equality through access to a lawyer. But the legal aid bill will limit public funds for legal advice at the end of a relationship to only those cases which involve domestic abuse.
Last year Sir Nicholas Wall, the most senior family judge in England and Wales, predicted “a substantial increase” in the numbers of people ending up in the family courts without lawyers or any proper advice as a result of proposals included in the legal aid, punishment and sentencing of offenders bill, which comes into force in April.
Ms Hicklin, said QualitySolicitors Mander Cruickshank was concerned at the public’s unawareness.
“There has been a marked silence that just isn’t in general public knowledge and the media, yet it affects so many. It could cost people thousands.”
“We are working to implement the changes and there will be significant. It could mean long term payment plans for some of our clients to deal with their costs. These changes will affect many people in Leicestershire and we need to talk to these people now.”
