When is Legal Aid available in Family Law matters?

Stephen Rimmer are able to offer Legal Aid in limited cases for some Family Law matters.  This allows us to be able to offer some of our clients the help of public funding for certain cases. Legal Aid has been subject to considerable government spending cuts and is only available in very limited cases. Each Legal Aid application is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

We can provide Legal Aid in the following instances:

• Injunction Orders and Occupation Orders
• Private Children Matters

Upon making an application to the Legal Aid Agency they will take into account your eligibility for funding based on your financial means and the strength of your case.

In all cases, the financial criteria for legal aid must be met.  If you wish to see for yourself if you are likely to qualify for Legal Aid, then please check the Legal Aid Online Calculator or contact us to discuss your eligibility. If you are not eligible for Legal Aid then we can provide you with a detailed estimate of the likelihood of costs.

Private Children Matters

In addition to the financial criteria above, in matters involving the arrangements of children, the Legal Aid Agency will require evidence of domestic violence and abuse in order to fund Legal Aid for these types of cases.  If you are a victim of domestic violence you will need to provide evidence that you have been a victim of domestic violence by your partner.  For further information regarding the proof that is required, please enquire with our family law team.