As part of the government’s austerity plans, The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, was given Royal Assent on the 1 May 2012 and is now an Act of Parliament. Consequently, as of 1 April 2013, Legal Aid will no longer be available for any private family law work (such as divorce and disputes surrounding care arrangements for children). It will only be accessible for cases which involve domestic violence or public child protection issues, as well as mediation.
Stafford based solicitors firm Pickering and Butters LLP has already seen the impact which this has had in the Staffordshire area, with several firms of solicitors being forced to close their doors, owing to the cut in funding. As a result, Pickering and Butters’ case load has increased and it has expanded its family law department, bringing on board Shelley Brydon-Darby, who has over 30 years’ experience in family law. Mrs Brydon-Darby worked formerly at Jewels Solicitors (a firm predominantly practising in legal-aid-funded family law), which ceased trading last year. She joins Amy Bedford and her team at Pickering and Butters, together with two secretaries, also formerly of Jewels Solicitors, who have extensive family law experience.
Shelley Brydon-Darby comments: “One of the difficulties which the proposed cuts to legal aid present is that people may be left having to engage in the family law process themselves, without the benefit of professional advice from specialist practitioners. Every family law case is different, and every case needs tailored advice to ensure the best possible outcome. There is a concern that the cuts to legal aid will see more people representing themselves in family cases, which will mean that cases take longer to be resolved, and lengthy court processes are not in the best interests of families. While we cannot offer legal aid to clients, we do provide a free initial half-hour appointment, at which people can get some family law advice, with an out-of-hours service also available, but by appointment only.”
Amy Bedford and Shelley Brydon-Darby are both members of Resolution First For Family Law, a code of practice which requires family lawyers to resolve disputes in a constructive and non-confrontational way. With the current government proposal, many people will no longer be eligible for legal aid in divorce proceedings and may feel frustrated and concerned about the future costs of a divorce. However, Pickering and Butters offers a fixed-fee package for divorce proceedings, to ensure that its clients know exactly where they stand, with no hidden costs.
Amy Bedford states: “We are committed to following the Resolution code of practice, in order to encourage proactive agreement between parties, wherever possible. By being resolution focused, we believe that legal costs can often be saved by reaching a negotiated settlement swiftly and, therefore, cost-effectively. There is no substitute for proper legal advice – particularly so where there is a family dispute. With our fixed-fee scheme, available for divorce proceedings, our clients can have absolute confidence that they will receive a premium service, while being sure of the costs.”
Pickering and Butters offers a complete family law service to deal with those issues surrounding a family breakdown, including divorce proceedings (to which its fixed fee applies), financial settlements, separation issues, cohabitation disputes, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, civil partnership issues and a range of matters relating to children, for example, residence and contact orders. The family team at Pickering and Butters has extensive experience in dealing with a great range of family cases, from high-net-worth settlements, including complex company and farming partnership disputes, through to the challenges of cases where there are limited assets to divide. Mrs Bedford adds: “Ultimately, we have the legal expertise to reach a resolution in every family case, but it is hoped that our dedicated, personable service will also make what can be a difficult time easier to deal with.”
