The Price Of Justice.

[Anna B]

As above title says, a woman has had to sell her house to pay the legal fees in a fight to protect her children from their father, a convicted paedophile. 

 He was demanding his legal right to see them, through the courts, a situation she had to avoid for their safety.

She won, but at great expense which she couldn't afford.

 

Why is it ordinary people can no longer afford justice any more? 

 

Only criminal cases qualify for any sort of legal aid, but we all know that many people need a legal decision of the courts in all sorts of other cases.

I am currently embroiled in my own legal case with a common-or-garden solicitor who is charging upwards of £300 an hour for very little. I can't go into details for obvious reasons, but it's just another thing that is outside the pocket of the ordinary Joe. As the cost of living bites and the gap between rich and poor widens this is going to become an impossible situation.  

Edited November 20, 2023 by Anna B

[cressida]

I read about that,  how long is he in jail for?

[Axe]

18 minutes ago, Anna B said:

As above title says, a woman has had to sell her house to pay the legal fees in a fight to protect her children from their father, a convicted paedophile. 

 He was demanding his legal right to see them, through the courts, a situation she had to avoid for their safety.

She won, but at great expense which she couldn't afford.

 

Why is it ordinary people can no longer afford justice any more? 

 

Only criminal cases qualify for any sort of legal aid, but we all know that many people need a legal decision of the courts in all sorts of other cases.

I am currently embroiled in my own legal case with a common-or-garden solicitor who is charging upwards of £300 an hour for very little. I can't go into details for obvious reasons, but it's just another thing that is outside the pocket of the ordinary Joe. As the cost of living bites and the gap between rich and poor widens this is going to become an impossible situation.  

Good luck with your own legal case. 

[echo beach]

31 minutes ago, Anna B said:

As above title says, a woman has had to sell her house to pay the legal fees in a fight to protect her children from their father, a convicted paedophile. 

 He was demanding his legal right to see them, through the courts, a situation she had to avoid for their safety.

She won, but at great expense which she couldn't afford.

 

Why is it ordinary people can no longer afford justice any more? 

 

Only criminal cases qualify for any sort of legal aid, but we all know that many people need a legal decision of the courts in all sorts of other cases.

I am currently embroiled in my own legal case with a common-or-garden solicitor who is charging upwards of £300 an hour for very little. I can't go into details for obvious reasons, but it's just another thing that is outside the pocket of the ordinary Joe. As the cost of living bites and the gap between rich and poor widens this is going to become an impossible situation.  

Yes it’s a terrible situation.

I believe that the woman’s parents have remortgaged their house to raise the £30,000

needed. It’s them, therefore, who have taken the hit.

 

echo.

[Findlay]

Surely the loser will have to pay the legal costs of the winner.
If the costs are less than £10, 000 it will go through the small claims court

[ECCOnoob]

1 hour ago, Anna B said:

As above title says, a woman has had to sell her house to pay the legal fees in a fight to protect her children from their father, a convicted paedophile. 

 He was demanding his legal right to see them, through the courts, a situation she had to avoid for their safety.

She won, but at great expense which she couldn't afford.

 

Why is it ordinary people can no longer afford justice any more? 

 

Only criminal cases qualify for any sort of legal aid, but we all know that many people need a legal decision of the courts in all sorts of other cases.

I am currently embroiled in my own legal case with a common-or-garden solicitor who is charging upwards of £300 an hour for very little. I can't go into details for obvious reasons, but it's just another thing that is outside the pocket of the ordinary Joe. As the cost of living bites and the gap between rich and poor widens this is going to become an impossible situation.  

Have you got a link to this story?

Edited November 21, 2023 by ECCOnoob

[ECCOnoob]

2 hours ago, Findlay said:

Surely the loser will have to pay the legal costs of the winner.
If the costs are less than £10, 000 it will go through the small claims court

There is no automatic entitlement in family court. It's a discretion of the judge and generally only if there has been unreasonable conduct, unmertorius allegations or failure by party to comply with something during the proceedings.

 

Often judges see costs awards as simply antagonising a situation further, causing too much in impact on the child's potential maintenance payment funds or other such reasons  - which is why generally each party bares their own costs.  

 

Court action has always been expensive. Its the exact reason why, particularly in family and now increasingly lower level civil disputes, there is such a heavy push on encouragement of other avenues to resolve a dispute before just jumping into court proceedings.

 

Everyone whines about solicitors fees till they need one. Everyone whines about "extortionate" hourly rates but just how much is fair to get specialist service from someone who has trained for 6+ years giving you consultation, legal drafting, advice and/or advocacy. Plus of course the firm's office cost, secretarial and admin staff, utilities, professional membership fees, liability insurance, supplies in stationery, postage cost, travel costs.... 

 

Legal Aid might be a  shadow of its former self, but as someone working in the industry long enough to see the legal aid peak and troughs It was ripe for reform. When I had periods doing it back in the late 90s it was covering far too many subjects and was far too easily available - an estimated 51% of the population at the time being eligible to legal aid in some form - which is frankly ludicrous for something which is supposed to be limited to those in desperate need and with no other means.

 

People chant about denying access for justice but look at the way the industry is developed. We now have massive increases in fixed fee offerings, no-win no-fee agreements, contingency agreements, alternative funding, online advice services, telephone advice services, trade union legal services, legal advice through home/car insurance policies, online claim portals, direct television advertising, legal advice centres, free advice clinics and roadshows.....

 

It's continually becoming far more consumerised and more accessible than ever before.  For most 'Average Joes' on the street, we are long beyond the days of having to wait a week to see Mr. Jones in his dusty office and his demands for £1,000 payment on account. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by ECCOnoob

[Anna B]

1 hour ago, ECCOnoob said:

Have you got a link to this story?

It was on today's news, I think both BBC and ITV covered it. Might be in the papers tomorrow.

[cressida]

This -  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67425080

[echo beach]

It was reported in yesterday’s Daily Telegraph.

 

echo.