Couples that face financial difficulties may stay in an unhappy or abusive marriage, not for lack of wanting to leave but particularly because they cannot afford the costs related to a solicitor. In some divorce cases, working with a lawyer is mandatory if one or both parties are interested in solving more complex issues that have to do with custody or maintenance. The Legal Aid Law can help individuals benefit from financial assistance, when and if they can prove that their problem is a serious one.
Our divorce solicitors in London can help you if you are interested in knowing more about eligibility for financial aid, how to claim and how your particular case may be considered for this particular form of aid.
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Free legal help as per the Legal Aid Law
Some of the main issues to take into consideration about legal aid are the following:
- Eligibility: legal aid is only available for those who face serious problems, such a family who is under threat because of domestic violence; forced marriages are also considered serious cases;
- True financial constrains: the applicant is required to provide sufficient proof to show that he/she indeed cannot afford to pay for the legal proceedings;
- Criminal and civil: criminal and civil (non-criminal) cases are eligible; however, for the purpose of criminal cases it is highly advisable to speak to one of our divorce solicitors in London to find out more about the process;
- Other costs: it is important to note that you may need to pay some of the costs upfront, and the amount you can receive on the basis of the Legal Aid Law may not cover all of the costs.
Receiving professional legal advice before you apply can be important as it may improve your acceptance cases. We encourage all those individuals who are currently facing problematic family situations and are considering getting a divorce to reach out to our solicitors for more information.
Eligibility criteria according to the Legal Aid Law
Whether or not an individual is eligible will depend on the type of case and one’s particular financial circumstances.
Civil cases that are covered by the Legal Aid Law include those related to family, housing or debt. It is mandatory for the applicant to provide details about income, benefits, savings, property both for oneself and for the partner. In divorce cases, it can be common to provide further evidence, for example, a general practitioner’s letter that shows that the applicant and/or child have been victims of abuse.
You can get legal aid if, as previously stated, you or your family are at serious risk of harm due to domestic violence as well as when you are at risk of homelessness (which may apply in divorce cases when one of the parties faces eviction).
Some of the common costs that may be covered under the legal aid scheme provided by the Government include the following:
- 550£: the fee for filing an application for divorce, civil partnership dissolution or nullity;
- 365£: the costs for filing an application for judicial separation with the family court;
- 215£: any applications under the Children Act, including an application for an enforcement order under this Act;
- 50£: family enforcement proceedings, such as the application in the family court for a method of enforcement;
Please note that this is not a complete list of costs and that these may be subject to change. Reach out to our divorce solicitors in London for updated information and how to apply.
Affordable legal aid in the UK
Our team of solicitors in UK works in accordance with the current provisions for legal aid for many types of cases including non-criminal ones, domestic abuse, or violence as well as legal issues a UK national may face abroad. If your divorce is based on one of these issues that qualify for legal aid, such as domestic violence, our lawyers can help you.
We know that many families or individuals who are faced with different levels of legal issues postpone reaching out to a professional particularly because they cannot afford the legal costs.
We can help you check if you qualify for aid as per the Legal Aid Law and we will help you calculate the costs of your case, when the available aid does not fully cover all of these.
Our team works based on a scheme that is helpful to all our clients, whether they need legal aid. Our solicitors use a no win no fee approach in most cases and we will do or best to help you obtain compensations that will cover not only the legal fees that are expected when you work with a team but that will also sufficiently cover your damages or losses.
Contact our divorce solicitors today if you need more details on the Legal Aid Law.
