Everys Solicitors warn about the injustice of Legal Aid changes for families
Two of Devon’s family law solicitors have warned of the unjust effects the imminent changes to Legal Aid will create.
From 1 April 2013, Government austerity measures will mean Legal Aid will be limited to certain types of case and people who qualify for it on financial grounds. The Ministry of Justice claims legal aid will still be provided "to those who most need it".
Divorce disputes between parents regarding their children and financial matters will no longer fall within the scope of legal aid unless a person is at risk of or has been subjected to domestic violence and is able to produce evidence of that abuse.
As one of Devon’s firms registered by the Legal Services Commission to deal with Legal Aid cases, the Everys family law team has a high number of legal aid cases which reflect the needs of people living in Exeter and East Devon.
Stephen Martin, head of family law at Everys Solicitors, said: “The breakdown of a personal relationship can be a traumatic time in a person’s life. Legal Aid has been available to help the most vulnerable people in society but that help is being taken away. These changes mean many people are not going to be allowed access to justice.”
Kim Stradling, an Everys partner based in Exmouth who specialises in family law, domestic abuse and cases involving children, said: “We are a high street law firm that wants to represent people in Exeter and the towns in East Devon where we live and work. People are not going to have the representation in court or advice on legal matters that they need which is a fundamental human right.”
Everys has lawyers who are nationally accredited with the Law Society and Resolution, which is a group of lawyers specialising in family law cases. Everys offers an initial fixed fee interview at its offices in Exeter, Exmouth and Honiton to advise on whether a client is eligible for Legal Aid, the issues that may arise in a particular case, and the costs that may be incurred if represented by a lawyer and Legal Aid is not available.
For more information on family law, see http://www.everys.co.uk/for-individuals/family.ashx.
