Law Articles

Is Legal Advice a Necessity? 21/11/2016

Since the changes were made to Family Law regarding cuts to Legal Aid there has been an increase in clients representing themselves. In fact, since the changes in April 2013 the number of cases where neither party has representation has trebled to 31%.

But is it wise to represent yourself when large amounts of money, your home, pension etc are at stake?

In December 2015, there were errors highlighted in the Government's Form E leading to claims that numerous cases may have to be revisited where finances between two parties were made in error. With around 120,000 divorces occurring each year this could potentially affect a huge amount of people. This is most likely to affect people who represented themselves as most solicitors use software that wasn't affected by the glitch.

Jo Edwards, the chair of Resolution said, "It is unfortunate that so many self-represented litigants have relied upon the Government's online Form E tool and now potentially face having their cases reopened. This illustrates yet again the desirability of litigants having access to at least limited legal advice."

So the advice of a lawyer has never been as important as it is today. The use of technology and online tools has become an integral part of our daily lives yet when legal advice is needed nothing beats the empathetic human touch.

For further information and advice on this issue, and other family law issues, please contact us for a free initial consultation on 01992 306 616 or 0207 956 2740 or email us.