Domestic violence charity launches ABS in effort to fill hole left by legal aid cuts

updated on 29 July 2019

A domestic violence charity has set up its own alternative business structure in a drive to bridge the gap in legal services provision created by cuts to legal aid.

As Legal Futures reports, the charity Staying Put aims to provide legal advice to those affected by domestic violence who no longer fall within the scope of legal aid, but cannot afford legal representation themselves. The newly created Affordable Legal Services will still charge clients, but fees will be significantly lower than those set by many high street solicitors.

The service currently only has one solicitor, with more legal advisers likely to be recruited over the next year. Explaining the idea, Yasmin Khan, chief executive of Staying Put, said: “We had been thinking about this for five years and I had this vision, especially when the legal aid reforms came in, of enabling people to access legal support. There is nothing for those people who are not eligible for legal aid and would not be able to afford a high street solicitor.”