Legal Aid and the first 'free half hour' solicitor advice appt...

[FullySwindonian]

I'm confused.

Does Legal Aid still exist?

Last year my children's father opened a case against me to acquire access to the children, but he failed i attend mediation or respond to any further solicitor involvement so his case was dropped.

I think my solicitor said I was eligible for legal aid then. I must have been as I've never been billed.

I've phoned recently to set an appointment for advice regarding taking a Prohibited Steps Order (PSO) out on him, but the receptionist thinks that even the initial first half hour advice appointment will be chargeable. She will confirm in due course.

If he has already brought a case against me last year, would I still be eligible for Legal Aid now? My financial circumstances haven't changed since then.

The PSO is for me to buy some time to set up a permanent residency order or whatever it's called now. The PSO is because I believe he has ability to remove the children from their school without my permission and although I've wanted to avoid bringing the past DV history to my solicitors attention, I think the PSO may require that, I don't know.

Thankyou to anyone who may have some views on this.

[FullySwindonian]

Thankyou BB. Yes, there is an element of DV involved in the case.

[STIDW]

To be eligible for legal aid now you must be on a low income and able to provide evidence of DV from the list below.


criminal conviction
police caution
police bail
ongoing criminal proceedings
protective injunction
an undertaking
letter from a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference
finding of fact, by a court
letter from social services
letter from a doctor (including a family doctor or 'GP'), nurse, midwife, practitioner psychologist or health visitor
letter from a domestic violence refuge or refusal of entry to refuge
referral to a domestic violence specialist support service by a doctor, nurse, midwife, practitioner psychologist or health visitor
a Domestic Violence Protection Notice or Domestic Violence Protection Order granted
a bind over

See;

www.justice.gov.uk/legal-aid-for-private-family-matters/legal-aid-divorcing-separating-abusive-partner