URGENT Any Lawyers about? told I'd have Legal Aid but been sent a 1K bill !!!

[54isanopendoor]

Grateful for advice if possible?

Firm dealing with my Separation told me I'd get Legal Aid. I filled out forms.
As part of the Sep Ag I will get 50% of exH pension & house title will pass to me (no equity in house, need to stay here as disabled children in local school etc)
Was told that LA board 'may try to recover costs in time if you sell the house & there is equity' (there won't be - it floods & I'd be lucky to sell it at all tbh)

I understood that the Title & pension wouldn't pass until I I went on to Divorce.
I would need to pay for the Conveyancing myself but the Divorce would also be covered by LA under the same circumstances.

It's dragged on (nearly 2 years! - they have been very slow as part of this)
Sep Ag completed. Conveyancing about to begin. Divorce LA papers signed.

I have just been sent a Fee Note for nearly £1k for the Sep Ag work 'as LA consider you to have gained financially'.

I'm not happy. I was told I'd not get a bill for the Sep Ag
(plus the paralegal who has handled it has been really poor)
& also worried that I'll be given a bill for the Divorce too.

so, instead of the '£500' for Conveyancing I'm now due £1500 plus ?? for actual Divorce which I have to go ahead with (as agreed in the Sep Ag plus Title & pension dosen't pass otherwise so £1500 for nothing so far?)

Can anyone give an opinion on this please?

My understanding (very little) is you can apply for it however the application has to be assessed and it’s not guaranteed.

That sounds worrying. Surely there are 'rules' which cover what qualifies & what doesn't,?

What does your letter of engagement / retainer letter issued to you by the law firm say about payment? They must make it clear what the fees will be and who will be responsible for payment.

Hmmm

I wrote to my lawyers. They replied 'we looked at your file & there was a clear discussion between you & (person now left the company) which referred to you being given advice & assistance & said full legal aid could be applied for'.
(no copy or more details are given)
'As you have made a gain then you would be liable for your legal fees anyway'.

The actual Divorce part is now due. They've sent me Legal Aid forms again...

I've been told that I can apply to the Legal Aid Board for help with the fees.
I am in receipt of Income Support but this is not sufficient - I have to supply evidence of all incomings & outgoings & 3 months bank statements too.
Then the SLAB will decide on a case by case basis if I have to pay & how quickly.

Before I go through all this too does anyone know if there is a cut off for amount of savings. eg, with Income Support it is £6K. I have much less than this but I dont' know how the SLAB judges things if it's different to DWP (I'd have thought this was the benchmark?)

Best bet - Contact the Legal Ombudsman. If you get any further demand for money, tell them the Legal Ombudsman is dealing with it. The Ombudsman departments are under huge pressure with all the complaints, so there is at least a nine month wait.

The law firm will have a difficult job getting any money from you unless they have specified what you would be liable for in the initial engagement letter/ retainer which should have been sent to ( and ideally signed by) you. As I said look for, or ask them for that.