Court crisis warning as legal aid cuts trigger surge in parents fighting for child custody without lawyer – Daily Telegraph

‘Lawyers warn of ‘huge delays’ in family court cases as number of parents facing prospect of representing themselves jumps 48 per cent’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 7th June 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Children suffer as cuts to legal aid penalise parents in court – The Independent

Posted June 2nd, 2014 in budgets, children, custody, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

‘Almost half of all parents fighting to get access to their children through the courts are being made to do so without legal advice, family magistrates warn today.’

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The Independent, 1st June 2014

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update – Family Law Week

‘Jessica Craigs, senior solicitor, and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the financial remedies and divorce news and cases published in April.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th May 2014

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

BSB fails to have barrister’s costs reduced to LiP rate – Legal Futures

‘Barristers who successfully defend themselves in disciplinary proceedings can claim their costs at a rate higher than that of a normal litigant in person, the High Court has ruled in a largely unsuccessful judicial review brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).’

Full story

Legal Futures, 19th May 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Response of the Judicial Executive Board to the Justice Committee Inquiry: Civil Legal Aid – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted May 15th, 2014 in civil justice, judiciary, legal aid, litigants in person, news by tracey

‘Response of the Judicial Executive Board, drafted with input from the Association of Her Majesty’s District Judges and the Council of Her Majesty’s Circuit Judges.’

Full text

Judiciary of England and Wales, 13th May 2014

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Leading judges in damning attack on civil aid cuts – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Senior judges have launched their most scathing attack yet on the government’s cuts to civil legal aid. In written evidence responding to the government’s consultation on the first year of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act, the Judicial Executive Board said courts have faced an ‘unprecedented increase’ in numbers of litigants in person (LiPs).’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 14th May 2014

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Judges criticise impact of legal aid cuts – The Guardian

‘There has been a large increase in unrepresented claimants, outbreaks of courtroom violence, extra litigation and increased costs, according to senior judges who have criticised the impact of legal aid cuts in the family courts.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th May 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why an inquisitorial system for family courts won’t work – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas, delivered a speech last week in which he radically called for a judge-led inquisitorial system to be considered for family and civil courts. He commented that, within the family law arena, the current adversarial method of dealing with cases was ill-suited to both the types of cases seen there and the significant numbers of litigants in person who now make up large numbers of the users of that system.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 12th March 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Inquisitorial system may be better for family and civil cases, says top judge – The Guardian

Posted March 4th, 2014 in civil justice, family courts, judges, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

‘A judge-led, inquisitorial system of justice may be a better way of conducting family and civil cases where litigants are unrepresented, the lord chief justice has suggested.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Lawyers to stage full-day walkout over legal aid cuts in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Criminal courts across England and Wales will be severely disrupted next month when barristers and solicitors escalate their protests against legal aid cuts by staging a full-day walkout.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th February 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Family law in crisis – New Law Journal

‘Cuts to legal aid have thrown family proceedings into chaos, say Kim Beatson, Caroline Bowden & Ellen Lucas.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 10th February 2014

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Fathers4Justice man jailed for defacing Queen portrait – BBC News

Posted February 6th, 2014 in artistic works, criminal damage, litigants in person, news, sentencing by sally

‘A Fathers4Justice campaigner has been jailed for six months for defacing a portrait of the Queen with paint.’

Full story

BBC News, 5th February 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Probe into growth of ‘professional’ McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

‘The Legal Services Consumer Panel has begun an investigation into the emergence of ‘professional’ McKenzie Friends who charge litigants in person for their services, it has emerged.’

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Legal Futures, 7th January 2014

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barristers and solicitors walk out over cuts to legal aid fees – The Guardian

‘Criminal courts across England and Wales will be severely disrupted on Monday morning when barristers and solicitors stage an unprecedented mass walkout in protest at government plans to slash legal aid fees by up to 30%.’

Full story

The Guardian, 5th January 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

This month’s costs cases summaries: appeals, unjust enrichment and Mitchell – Litigation Futures

Posted December 10th, 2013 in appeals, budgets, case management, civil procedure rules, costs, litigants in person, news by tracey

‘Our monthly summary of key costs-related court decisions.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 9th December 2013

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Disastrous’ drop in out-of-court mediation for divorcing couples – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 29th, 2013 in arbitration, courts, divorce, legal aid, litigants in person, news by sally

“The number of divorcing couples using special out-of-court sessions to settle disputes over property and children has collapsed in the wake of legal aid cuts.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

A Handbook for Litigants in Person – Judiciary of England and Wales

Posted October 23rd, 2013 in courts, legal aid, litigants in person, press releases by tracey

“A guide to appearing in civil cases without legal representation has been produced and published by the judiciary.”

Full guide

Judiciary of England and Wales, 22nd October 2013

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Lord Neuberger: Don’t restrict right to judicial review – Daily Telegraph

“The Government should not restrict people from seeking judicial review, the UK’s most senior judge has warned.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th October 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

‘A rank denial of justice’ for vulnerable people: Senior judge attacks plan to cut legal aid by £350m – The Independent

“Britain’s most senior judge has warned the Government that its proposed cuts to the legal aid budget could mean ‘a rank denial of justice’ for vulnerable people.”

Full story

The Independent, 15th October 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Grieve: legal aid cuts hurt, but bar is just too big – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 2nd, 2013 in attorney general, barristers, budgets, legal aid, litigants in person, news by tracey

“Attorney general Dominic Grieve has spoken of his sympathy for lawyers affected by the legal aid cuts – but insisted the legal sector cannot be immune from austerity measures.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 30th September 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk