Where as before, the majority of Applicants and Respondents were able to secure legal aid and legal representation, today that is something of a rarity.

This has, say the Judicial Executive Board which is made up of some of the most senior Judges in England and Wales, lead to a sharp increase in people conducting there own cases in the family Courts.

It was noted by the Judicial Executive Board that the family Court system was not developed with litigants in person in mind.  The Board were of the opinion that the changes to legal aid have put the whole system under great pressure which has impacted upon the Court’s administration and efficiency.

The Board noted that cases which would have been negotiated and settled early on if parties had the benefit of legal representation were often proceeding to final hearing.  This protraction and delay meant more time and more cost was inevitably spent in cases where litigants in person conducted their own litigation.

There was also concern that cases that had no merit were being issued in family Courts and other cases, ones which did have merit, were not being brought before the Court at all.

If you have any questions about your eligibility for legal aid or if you want to further discuss the benefits of having a legal representative in family proceedings then you should contact our friendly and experienced family team on 02920 470909.

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