Last updated on August 18th, 2015 at 12:33 pm

Good news according to Graysons WE’s managing partner and medical negligence specialist Peter Clark who says “I have wholeheartedly supported the challenges made by many in the legal profession, including AvMA (Action against Medical Accidents), to the proposed cuts.  The cuts will mean that legal aid will not be available to some of the most vulnerable people in society, and will not only take away funding from victims of medical negligence, but also those needing help when their families have split up.”

The proposals passed through the House of Commons, unopposed, earlier this year, but  there is fierce opposition in the House of Lords and many solicitors, senior judges and social welfare organisations are highly critical.  Justice Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, has blamed the delay on the need to “reschedule legal contracts”, but many people believe that the Government is taking stock of the opposition; claiming that it had not properly thought through its proposals.  A Ministry of Justice spokesman said ‘The Government is committed to providing a legal aid scheme which targets resources at people who need legal support the most, and on the most serious cases.”

However Law Society chief executive, Desmond Hudson, claims that the cuts will not deliver the financial savings expected by the Government, and that they will deny access to justice to all but the well off.  In welcoming the delay he said “We have repeatedly warned that implementation of the proposed changes to legal aid scope and provision by October 2012 was impractical……. The government has taken a sensible decision to defer this deadline…. The new timetable is still challenging, given the work required to implement changes of this magnitude.”

Graysons WE family and medical negligence specialists will continue to offer legal aid to clients, where appropriate, until such time as any changes are implemented.  We can also offer a range other funding methods such as “no win – no fee” on medical negligence matters, and our family department also has a range of options such as fixed fee divorce packages and a specialist service for busy professional people.