Law Society urges immediate legal aid reform to ensure justice for domestic abuse survivors
updated on 01 October 2024
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An “alarming” number of survivors of domestic abuse in the UK are being forced to represent themselves in court due to limited access to legal representation.
In 2023, 29% of domestic abuse survivors represented themselves in family court – a significant increase from the 15% in 2011. The latest family court figures also revealed that, in the period between April and June 2024, 1,555 people made domestic abuse applications without legal representation, with a total of 7,720 domestic violence applications made in that quarter.
Meanwhile, figures from the recent Frontier Economics report on civil legal aid, commissioned by the Law Society of England and Wales, revealed that 19% of legal aid firms have closed in the past five years, making it difficult for eligible survivors to find a provider in their area.
This data has prompted the Law Society to raise concerns over the lack of legal aid available.
Speaking on the findings, Law Society President Nick Emmerson said: “Unable to afford representation, many are forced to appear in court on their own, navigating complex court processes and procedures to seek protection for themselves and their children.”
Earlier this year, the Law Society highlighted an urgent need for legal aid reform following the government’s delayed implementation of improvements to the legal aid means test. Emmerson explained that “the UK government’s failure to expand the legal aid means test has also meant that people living in poverty are unable to meet the income threshold”.
Emmerson called for an expansion of the means test, as well as increased investment in legal aid, to ensure that “survivors of domestic abuse get the justice they deserve”.
Note from the LawCareers.Net content team: if you’ve experienced any of the issues mentioned in this article, there are several people you can contact, including your university's support service and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline. If you need support now, speak to a member of the Helpline team at any time by calling 0808 2000 247 or using the live chat service.
