Post by Patrick Torsney on Nov 27, 2010 15:08:02 GMT 1
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What is legal aid?
Legal aid helps with the costs of legal advice for people who can't afford it
What kind of problems does legal aid cover?
Legal aid is available for many types of legal problem. A civil legal case is one in which you have a dispute with a person, company or other organisation. For example, a civil problem can be to do with your:
A bit of background to legal aid
Legal aid is provided in a variety of ways. Most importantly, it's separated into two distinct areas: Criminal (Criminal Defence Service, or CDS) and Civil (Community Legal Service, or CLS)
If you have committed or are accused of a crime, then you may have had experience of the CDS (Criminal Legal Aid)
If, on the other hand, you have sought advice about things like debts, employment problems, immigration matters, difficulties with getting welfare benefits or appealing decisions, education, housing including eviction and repossession, mental health problems, divorce or other matters to do with relationships and children, then you may have sought help from the CLS (civil legal aid)
The recent proposals intend to make cuts in civil legal aid, not criminal
Legal aid has been around a long time
Did you know that Legal Aid was set up by a Labour Government in the immediate aftermath of the World War II, as a part of the Welfare State provision – just like the NHS and the National Insurance scheme? Of course, all these things have developed and changed over the years, but legal aid was always meant to ensure that access to justice would not be denied to people merely because they could not afford to employ a lawyer
In civil legal aid, it is no longer just solicitors in private practice law firms who are funded to provide it. Over the last 10 years or so, legal aid has also been available from many voluntary sector organisations, such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Law Centres and other independent advice centres. The legal aid provided by these organisations is commonly referred to as 'social welfare law'
It's unfortunate that the majority of the proposed cuts in civil legal aid are aimed specifically at social welfare law - the types of work performed by these voluntary sector organisations and committed solicitors
In short, it is these organisations, voluntary sector and private practice, that will see biggest damage, with many who were reliant on legal aid funding in order to provide legal advice in the community going out of business or reducing their services considerably as a consequence of the cuts. Most importantly, this will mean these services will no longer be fully available to you and the people in your community
If you have a story you want to share, you need to register first, then tell it here
If you need legal advice right now, click here
If you need legal advice right now, click here
What is legal aid?
Legal aid helps with the costs of legal advice for people who can't afford it
What kind of problems does legal aid cover?
Legal aid is available for many types of legal problem. A civil legal case is one in which you have a dispute with a person, company or other organisation. For example, a civil problem can be to do with your:
- home
- relationships (you may be separating or divorcing)
- money (you may be having difficulty receiving benefits or are unable to pay your debts)
A bit of background to legal aid
Legal aid is provided in a variety of ways. Most importantly, it's separated into two distinct areas: Criminal (Criminal Defence Service, or CDS) and Civil (Community Legal Service, or CLS)
If you have committed or are accused of a crime, then you may have had experience of the CDS (Criminal Legal Aid)
If, on the other hand, you have sought advice about things like debts, employment problems, immigration matters, difficulties with getting welfare benefits or appealing decisions, education, housing including eviction and repossession, mental health problems, divorce or other matters to do with relationships and children, then you may have sought help from the CLS (civil legal aid)
The recent proposals intend to make cuts in civil legal aid, not criminal
Legal aid has been around a long time
Did you know that Legal Aid was set up by a Labour Government in the immediate aftermath of the World War II, as a part of the Welfare State provision – just like the NHS and the National Insurance scheme? Of course, all these things have developed and changed over the years, but legal aid was always meant to ensure that access to justice would not be denied to people merely because they could not afford to employ a lawyer
In civil legal aid, it is no longer just solicitors in private practice law firms who are funded to provide it. Over the last 10 years or so, legal aid has also been available from many voluntary sector organisations, such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Law Centres and other independent advice centres. The legal aid provided by these organisations is commonly referred to as 'social welfare law'
It's unfortunate that the majority of the proposed cuts in civil legal aid are aimed specifically at social welfare law - the types of work performed by these voluntary sector organisations and committed solicitors
In short, it is these organisations, voluntary sector and private practice, that will see biggest damage, with many who were reliant on legal aid funding in order to provide legal advice in the community going out of business or reducing their services considerably as a consequence of the cuts. Most importantly, this will mean these services will no longer be fully available to you and the people in your community
If you have a story you want to share, you need to register first, then tell it here
If you need legal advice right now, click here