Legal aid cuts add to strain on divorcees – The Guardian

‘Nine out of 10 people who have gone through the family courts, under new rules that heavily restrict access to legal aid, suffer strain in their mental and physical health, working lives and finances, according to a report by Citizens Advice due out this week.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children: Private Law Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

Posted March 24th, 2016 in appeals, children, domestic violence, legal aid, news, reports, social services by tracey

‘Alex Verdan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent important judgments in private law children cases.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 23rd March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Jailed Libor trader Tom Hayes must pay more than £878,000 – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2016 in banking, confiscation, fraud, interest, legal aid, news, proceeds of crime by tracey

‘Tom Hayes, the former star trader serving an 11-year jail sentence for manipulating Libor interest rates, has been ordered to pay £878,806 after a court ruled the money was the proceeds of crime.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MoJ to urgently review legal aid for trafficking victims – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 22nd, 2016 in judicial review, legal aid, news, trafficking in human beings by sally

‘The Ministry of Justice will urgently review its provision of legal aid for people bringing claims for compensation against their traffickers, in response to a judicial review of the current scheme.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 21st March 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Divorce judge awards woman who gave up career 90% of family assets – The Guardian

Posted March 15th, 2016 in appeals, divorce, financial provision, legal aid, legal representation, news by sally

‘A businesswoman who left behind her career in order to become a “stay at home mum” while her husband continued with his high-flying career has been awarded virtually all of the family fortune by a divorce judge.’

Full story

The Guardian, 14th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge challenges government over legal representation for vulnerable people – The Guardian

‘A senior judge has challenged the government to provide legal representation for vulnerable people as a backlog of safeguarding cases that cannot be tried builds up in the court of protection.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th March 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Finance and Divorce Update (March 2016) – Family Law Week

‘Edward Heaton, Principal Associate and Jane Booth, Associate, both of Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the news and case law relating to financial remedies and divorce during February 2016.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 5th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

CA strikes down judge’s decision not to award 10% Simmons uplift – Litigation Futures

Posted March 4th, 2016 in appeals, costs, damages, judiciary, legal aid, news, personal injuries by tracey

‘A circuit judge was wrong to believe he had discretion not to apply the post-LASPO 10% uplift in damages, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 3rd March 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Becky Watts killers received £400,000 in legal aid – BBC News

Posted March 3rd, 2016 in appeals, costs, legal aid, news, trials by sally

‘The killers of Bristol teenager Becky Watts were granted more than £400,000 in legal aid, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.’

Full story

BBC News, 3rd March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal Aid Agency spends £93m on cases not heard in court – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 1st, 2016 in costs, Crown Prosecution Service, legal aid, news, prosecutions, reports, trials by sally

‘The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has spent more than £93m funding defence counsel in cases that did not go to trial, the National Audit Office has found.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 1st March 2016

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Father of Poppi Worthington given £117,000 legal aid for custody battle over her siblings – Daily Telegraph

‘Paul Worthington awarded £87,318 for counsel payments and £29,450 for solicitors’ fees to fight against the proceedings.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Judiciary proposes fee ban and new name for McKenzie Friends – Legal Futures

‘England and Wales should follow the example of Scotland in banning McKenzie Friends from charging fees, the Judicial Executive Board (JEB) has proposed.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 25th February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Domestic violence legal aid changes were ‘invalid’ – BBC News

Posted February 19th, 2016 in domestic violence, evidence, legal aid, ministers' powers and duties, news, women by sally

‘A women’s charity has won an appeal against rule changes which it said “cut too many women off” from legal aid in domestic violence cases.’

Full story

BBC News, 19th February 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

High Court awards Lord Chancellor £1m in battle with legal aid firm – Legal Futures

Posted February 19th, 2016 in accounts, law firms, legal aid, news by sally

‘The Lord Chancellor has been awarded almost £1m by the High Court in its battle with a legal aid firm over payments on account (POAs).’

Full story

Legal Futures, 19th February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High Court upholds CFA despite legal aid certificate remaining in place – Litigation Futures

Posted February 16th, 2016 in costs, fees, legal aid, news by sally

‘The High Court has ruled that a conditional fee agreement (CFA) was valid even though the claimant’s legal aid certificate remained in place.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 16th February 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Profession gets to work on Jackson’s vision of a contingent legal aid fund – Litigation Futures

‘The Bar Council, Law Society and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) have already begun talks on forming a working party that will take forward Lord Justice Jackson’s call for a contingent legal aid fund (CLAF), it has emerged.’

Full story

Litigation Futures, 5th February 2016

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

Speech by Lord Justice Jackson – The Case for a CLAF – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

‘Lord Justice Jackson gave the keynote speech at the Solicitors’ Costs Conference on 2 February 2016.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 4th February 2016

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

High Court ruling outlines extraordinary scale of allegations against Blavo & Co – Legal Futures

Posted February 3rd, 2016 in disclosure, fraud, law firms, legal aid, mental health, news, statistics by sally

‘A High Court judge has said there is a “strongly arguable case” that collapsed firm Blavo & Co, formerly the UK’s leading mental health practice, made “many thousands” of false legal aid claims.’

Full story

Legal Futures, 2nd February 2016

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Unjust Kingdom: why legal aid cuts require action and innovation – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted February 3rd, 2016 in budgets, fees, human rights, legal aid, legal profession, legal representation, news by sally

‘In a debate, held on 10 December 2015 (Human Rights Day), Lord Howarth of Newport succinctly summarised the consequences of the legal aid cuts as a; “denial of access to justice, human suffering, failure to achieve the intended savings, and damage to the legal profession.”’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd February 2016

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Paedophile awarded legal aid in fight to see son, eight – Daily Telegraph

‘Convicted sex criminal, named only as ‘Q’, was given taxpayer funding on human rights grounds to fight lack of contact with son.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 1st February 2016

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk