Will Legal Aid Cuts Save Money?
Family Law
The Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Bill has been back in the spot light following a new report questioning how much money the government will actually save by cutting legal aid provision. The Legal Aid scheme currently costs in the region of £2.2 billion and the government aims to cut this by £350 million by removing areas of family law, social welfare and clinical negligence from the scheme.
The research titled “Unintended Consequences: the Cost of the Government’s Legal Aid Reforms”, claims the proposed cuts will actually cause “unbudgeted costs of at least £139 million”.
The author of the report Dr Graham Cookson commented “This research undermines the government’s economic rationale for changing the scope of legal aid by casting doubt on their claims of realising savings to the public purse”.
If you would like advice regarding family matters and costs please contact our Family Law Department on Eastbourne 01323 727321 or Hailsham 01323 841481.
