CAFCASS Given Funding Boost

The Times reports on p 23 this morning that Cafcass has been given an extra £1.6m to help with the backlog in care cases.

Unintended Consequences

I had an interesting chat the other day with a child’s solicitor about one of the unintended consequences of the public law outline, with its emphasis on pre-proceedings assessment and meetings. Children’s solicitors are really a niche within a niche. However, now that parents are able to instruct solicitors prior to the issue of proceedings in order [...]

Family Legal Aid – The Fat Lady Sings

The Government announced its decision in respect of the family legal aid fee reforms on Wednesday this week. As a result of me seeming to have to do ever increasing amounts of work just to bring in the same amount of money I have not been able to look at the announcement in detail or to post anything [...]

Another Fine Mess

Yesterday I took a breather between lever arch files to chat with colleagues about the new fee regime that we will be paid under from next October. Some of the fees are clearly better than now, largely care work. For that I suspect we have the furore arising from the Baby P scandal to thank. [...]

One Last Sip…

I need a drink. Look away if you don’t want to hear me whine with self pity. On 4 August the demise of the SIP (Special Issue Payment), which just about makes the Graduated Fee Scheme worth doing, becomes a reality. The changes have only just been confirmed: in essence some SIPs are abolished altogether, [...]

Lord Bach To The Drawing Board

Lord Bach, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Justice, yesterday made a written statement to the House in respect of the proposed cuts to family legal aid advocacy fees, in which he said:  Since the formal consultation ended, the Legal Services Commission has had a substantial amount of constructive engagement with stakeholders. They have provided a [...]

Special Irritation Payments

Oh. Joy. Another claim refused by the LSC on the basis of an incorrect ‘interpretation’ of the regulations as to what can be claimed under Graduated Fees. Now I shall have to spend time submitting my application for review to remind the LSC what its own regulations say. This game is not funny any more and [...]

FAMILY LEGAL AID PLANS TORN APART IN DAMNING JUSTICE SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT

Ah, it’s just a roller coaster in this job. You never know what to expect – at court, or in your bank account. Don’t you just love it? Today the Justice Select Committee has blown a great big hole in the bow of the LSC proposals to cut our fees (I’d like to say it was [...]

The Final Straw

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has announced the second tranche of reforms in respect of the opening up of the family courts, reports the Times. It is no surprise that the government has announced its plan to relax the law in respect of reporting restrictions after the widespread disappointment voiced by the media when it realised [...]

Family Legal Aid – Update

On Tuesday I attended a second meeting at the House of Lords, hosted by the Parliamentary Justice Committee, this time chaired by Lord Thomas of Gresford. The meeting was convened to consider further the topic: ‘Vulnerable Children at Risk: How Will The Legal Services Commission’s Proposals Help?, which it might be thought was a rather leading [...]