Changes were made to Legal Aid in 2012 which made it difficult for people to obtain legal aid to deal with family issues.
This has had a particular effect on parents who are unable to agree arrangements for their children.
Help when struggling with fees
What about those people who are not eligible for legal aid, but still struggle to afford legal fees? Often those people are left having to represent themselves in court, complete court forms or try and agree arrangements with an ex-partner at a time when they cannot even live in the same house. This has a negative impact on the children which can last beyond childhood.
At Sydney Mitchell we have put together a package of fees to deal with each stage of the process. In all cases there is a first meeting with a qualified specialist family lawyer at a fixed cost. The client can then chose which package they need for which stage of the process. This could simply be help completing court forms. Alternatively, it might be assistance at court. Clients can chose what package they need to suit their budget. Information as to what is included in the package is clear and so the client stays in control of what advice and assistance is given and what they will pay for that advice and assistance.
The idea came about because our family team became increasingly frustrated at being unable to help parents who clearly needed some level of legal assistance, but were unable to afford legal costs involved in our dealing with the whole case. So they gave up and tried to represent themselves which often left them at a disadvantage or in some cases parents gave up completely and lost all contact with their children.
The service is offered by our team at our Birmingham office
The Sydney MItchell office in Waterloo Street is easily accessible being in the heart of Birmingham City centre and within walking distance of the Family Court at Birmingham.
For more information please call 0121 698 2200
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