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Criticism over family legal aid cuts

Ministers have announced plans to cut barristers’ fees for legally aided family disputes by up to £150 a case with the intention to slice £6.5 million next year from the legal aid bill.

This will affect cases involving contact with children or where a child lives after a divorce, as well as disputes between couples.

Family barristers are critical stating that the proposals are likely to have an impact on vulnerable women and children most at risk.

The launch of the controversial changes, to take effect in June, was accompanied by figures stating that in the past five years, legal aid payments to barristers handling family cases had soared by almost 30 per cent from £74 million to almost £100 million a year, although the number of family cases had only increase by 11 per cent.

In disputes over contact with and residence of children, the average cost rose from £789 to £1,345 and in disputes over property and assets, from £630 to £934.

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