King Street Solicitors is one of a small number of firms in Wakefield that has a contract with the Legal Aid Agency and is therefore able to consider whether a client is entitled to access help and funding from the Legal Aid Agency.

What is Legal Aid?

The Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“LAPSO”) governs the provision of legal aid from 1 April 2013.  This means that legal aid for most children and finance matters in private family law cases will only be available where a client has specific evidence in relation to domestic violence or child protection.

What Evidence is needed for Legal Aid?

The Legal Aid Agency requires very specific evidence of domestic violence or child protection.

An example of such evidence could be:

  • A Police caution
  • An unspent conviction for a domestic violence offence
  • A Protective Injunction
  • An Undertaking
  • Ongoing criminal proceedings
  • Police bail
  • MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference)
  • Finding of Fact
  • Appropriate letter from a Health Professional, Social Services, Domestic Violence Support organisation regarding admission to a Refuge/Refusal of Admission due to lack of accommodation, health professional referral to a domestic violence support service.
  • Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) and Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO)

In addition to one of the above pieces of evidence being provided, a client’s means are also assessed. What this means for clients is just because you are on a low income, you do not automatically qualify for Legal Aid funding.

If you require the protection from an abuser due to domestic violence or threats of violence, then you will be asked to bring to your first appointment with us, evidence of your means, by way of bank statements, wage slips etc. We will always tell you what is required to be assessed for Legal Aid funding prior to your appointment. Generally, client’s requiring urgent protection from an abusive partner will qualify for Legal Aid (though this may not always be free and may be at subject to a monthly contribution towards your legal aid funding costs).

Disclaimer: The content in this blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be seen as formal legal advice. King Street Solicitors is not responsible for any reliance on the information in this post. We do not take responsibility for the content of any external websites linked in the post. Any link to a third-party website should not be seen as an endorsement by King Street Solicitors.