Wealthy defendants to be denied legal aid in fresh cuts – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2013 in budgets, criminal justice, legal aid, news by sally

“Wealthy criminal defendants with disposable incomes of more than £37,500 a year will no longer automatically be entitled to legal aid under a further round of cuts unveiled by the Ministry of Justice.”

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The Guardian, 9th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Student solicitors step into the breach – The Guardian

Posted April 9th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, news, pro bono work, universities, volunteers by sally

“Following dramatic cuts to legal aid, universities are seeing increased demand for their free law clinics.”

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The Guardian, 8th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid cuts: why law students are coming to the rescue – The Guardian

Posted April 9th, 2013 in budgets, legal aid, news, pro bono work, universities, volunteers by sally

“We get the chance to work with real clients, and they get our help for free, says a volunteer.”

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The Guardian, 8th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Army law: uniform instructions – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 8th, 2013 in armed forces, budgets, legal services, news by sally

“Some press reports estimate that up to one in four of the army’s lawyers face being cut. And the overall picture for the army is one of drastically reduced headcount – the Ministry of Defence’s Future Force 2020 plans will see the army cut 20,000 regular soldiers by 2020, with the number of regular soldiers set to fall to 82,000. Last year, during the second completed phase of cuts, four Army Legal Services lieutenant colonels applied for voluntary redundancy.”

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Law Society’s Gazette, 8th April 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

How to cut the costs of getting divorced – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2013 in budgets, costs, custody, divorce, financial provision, internet, legal aid, news by sally

“Legal aid for the 120,000 couples who divorce in a typical year all but disappears in England and Wales this week, except in cases where domestic violence can be proved. While many are predicting a big increase in DIY divorces, costing as little as £37, the changes have also prompted the arrival of a raft of new fixed-fee legal deals that keep lawyers’ bills below £500.”

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The Guardian, 6th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No legal aid? How to represent yourself in court – BBC News

Posted April 8th, 2013 in budgets, divorce, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“The legal profession expects that changes to the legal aid system in England and Wales will lead to a rise in the number of people who have to represent themselves in court.”

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BBC News, 6th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New migrants will have to wait a year for legal aid – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2013 in asylum, budgets, custody, immigration, legal aid, news, prisons by sally

“Foreign nationals are to be denied the right to obtain legal aid for civil cases until they have lived in Britain for at least a year, the justice secretary Chris Grayling will announce this week.”

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The Guardian, 7th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

No QOCS here: A Guide to the CPR Amendments you may have missed – Zenith Chambers

“In all of the furore surrounding LASPO and the very real concerns about funding, it seems that very little attention has been paid to the significant changes to the CPR which will come into force on 1st April 2013. This is not an article about funding, legal aid, CFAs, DBAs, or even QOCS. Instead it is intended to provide an overview and guidance on the amendments being made to the CPR.”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 28th March 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Jackson: lawyers welcome implementation of long-awaited reforms – The Lawyer

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in budgets, costs, disclosure, legal profession, news by sally

“Disputes lawyers across the market have broadly welcomed the Jackson Reforms, which come into force today, saying they will ease the burden created by disclosure.”

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The Lawyer, 1st April 2013

Source: www.thelawyer.com

Legal aid is being ruled out of court – The Guardian

“From the beginning of April 2013 the chances of getting help with legal bills will be slim. The Law Society estimates 650,000 cases will no longer qualify, including 20,000 employment cases and 200,000 in family law.”

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The Guardian, 23rd March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal aid: Lawyer’s strike warning over reform plans – BBC News

Posted March 25th, 2013 in barristers, bills, budgets, costs, industrial action, legal aid, news, solicitors by sally

“A Welsh barrister has warned that lawyers could go on strike against the UK government’s latest plan to cut the legal aid bill in England and Wales.”

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BBC News, 24th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family Law Week’s Budget Briefing 2013 – Family Law Week

Posted March 21st, 2013 in benefits, budgets, families, news, social security, taxation by sally

“Jan Ellis, chartered accountant, of Ellis Foster LLP, a firm which specialises in advising family lawyers on tax-related family law issues, explains the budget changes of most relevance to practitioners.”

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Family Law Week, 20th March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

MPs warn of £42.8m data protection shortfall – BBC News

Posted March 20th, 2013 in budgets, data protection, EC law, news by tracey

“England’s Information Commissioner’s Office could be facing a £42.8m shortfall
that may have to be paid for by the taxpayer, MPs has warned.”

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BBC News, 20th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Barnet council faces high court review of budget cuts – The Guardian

Posted March 19th, 2013 in budgets, disabled persons, judicial review, local government, news by tracey

“The ‘easyCouncil’ model of no-frills local services faces a high court challenge today, with locals from the London Borough of Barnet, including the disabled resident Maria Nash who is bringing the action, calling for a £320m privatisation deal to be scrapped.”

Full story

The Guardian, 19th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Cost of Care……The position following the Tower Hamlets decision – Family Law Week

“Jacqui Thomas, barrister of 37 Park Square Chambers, Leeds, considers the implications of the recent Tower Hamlets judgment for the cost of kinship care.”

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Family Law Week, 17th March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Public bodies ‘spending millions to snoop’ – BBC News

“A wide range of public bodies are using private detectives to do their surveillance work, with many using security firms to dodge legal restrictions, a campaign group says.”

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BBC News, 17th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No sick pay, no maternity pay: Chancellor targets employers’ tax loophole that damages teachers’ and nurses’ rights – The Independent

Posted March 18th, 2013 in budgets, children, income tax, maternity leave, national insurance, news, sick leave by sally

“A tax loophole which allows firms to dodge around £100 million a year in National Insurance will be closed in the Budget, it was announced.”

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The Independent, 16th March 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Disabled people in legal bid to save living fund – BBC News

“The High Court is to begin hearing a challenge to government plans to scrap a £320m scheme that helps people with severe disabilities live independently.”

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BBC News, 13th March 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal aid cuts force closure of almost a third of Shelter offices – The Guardian

“Cuts to legal aid are forcing the closure of almost a third of Shelter’s housing advice centres and compelling the Red Cross to abandon its assistance for family reunions, the organisations claim.”

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The Guardian, 11th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Right or Wrong? The Court of Appeal causes controversy by finding ‘good reasons’s for Claimant to be allowed to depart from its own costs budget – Zenith Chambers

Posted March 7th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, costs, news, reasons by sally

“On the eve of costs budgeting becoming an integral aspect of multi-track case management, the Court of Appeal has caused controversy by reversing Senior Costs Judge Hirst’s tough decision in Henry v News Group Newspapers (SCCO) 28th May 2012).”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 12th February 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk