Commission pledges 10m for family law legal aid
Cathy Wallace
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Legal Services Commission has announced it will provide 10m for legal aid, particularly aimed at family law cases.
The money should pay for at least 40,000 extra cases of face-to-face civil legal aid. The commission has said family law, in particular domestic abuse, public law children, and social welfare work will take priority when doling out the money.
Carolyn Regan, chief executive of the commission, said: "We know from independent research that many people have multiple problems at the same time. That is why we are prioritising this funding for those organisations that can address a range of legal problems. In the past, someone suffering from domestic abuse, for example, may have had to seek help from three or more law firms in order to deal with housing, debt or other problems stemming from their situation.
"We want people using the services to be able to access everything, from basic advice to legal representation in the highest courts, all through one contact point."
An invitation for organisations to tender for the money has been published and the deadline for submissions is 7 August.
Carolyn Regan, chief executive of the commission, said: "We know from independent research that many people have multiple problems at the same time. That is why we are prioritising this funding for those organisations that can address a range of legal problems. In the past, someone suffering from domestic abuse, for example, may have had to seek help from three or more law firms in order to deal with housing, debt or other problems stemming from their situation.
"We want people using the services to be able to access everything, from basic advice to legal representation in the highest courts, all through one contact point."
An invitation for organisations to tender for the money has been published and the deadline for submissions is 7 August.
