Bristol lawyers fight back at legal aid cuts

Bristol barristers fed up with delayed court cases have launched a free advice service to “take the edge off” legal aid cuts.

Concerns have been raised about the growing number of people representing themselves in court following the cuts, leading to a lack of preparation for trials and costly delays.

The Family Court Information service, which includes an extensive website, free advice drop-ins and legal classes at Bristol Civil Courts, is also supported by Judge Stephen Wildblood QC, who presided over the Rebecca Minnock case.

“Most people are turning up to court in person, with nothing,” Sarah Phillimore and Lucy Reed, who have helped set up the service, told Bristol24/7.

“Some might have had some ad hoc advice, but mostly they have nothing to go on – and sometimes in serious cases of rape or abuse.”

They said if a case starts without the right preparation or if the litigants have only trawled the internet for often out-of-date points of law, then there is a “snowball effect” of problems which stalls important trials.

They also described the courts as “anarchy” since the 2013 cuts to legal aid in almost all civil cases.

“We can waste all our time arguing on things which just aren’t relevant or just trying to push the case forward.

“In some cases litigants don’t even know what to bring in terms of evidence and they often end up submitting something vital too late in the day so it cannot be accepted.”

They added: “We have serious cases of rape and you can’t get publicly funded lawyers to make sure the cases run properly.”

The website lists advice for litigants and links to useful organisations. Lucy has even produced her own series of videos to help people understand the court systems and know what to expect.

Free advice, by appointment, will be available from one day a week as of November, with a drop-in at the court operated by a group of 35 volunteer lawyers who will take it in turns.

Litigants can also attend free drop-in classes which have been organised by Judge Wildblood, as of October 1.

“We anticipate there will be far more demand than we can cope with eventually, but this is a start,” Lucy and Sarah said.

In response to claims that their work is, in effect, a form of giving in to the Government by filling a hole left by cuts for free, they said: “I can see why some people think it’s like turkeys voting for Christmas.

“But this is a dance. We can’t sit back and do nothing.

“Dealing with litigants without any help can be awful, especially when they haven’t got a clue where they are focussing their energies.

“If we can point them in the direction of a sensible approach, hopefully the progression of these complex cases can become a little less difficult for everyone.”

More information can be found at www.familycourtinfo.org.uk.

You can follow Family Courts Information at @familycourtinfo.

The first Family Law Classs is on October 1 from 4.30pm-6pm and it is free to attend. To book click here.