Not-for-profits may charge for advice in post-LASPO world

updated on 12 April 2013

A study conducted by a researcher at University of Warwick Centre for Human Rights has revealed that nearly 20% of not-for-profit legal advice centres are planning to charge for their services, as a response to the recent legal aid cuts.

The study, conducted in conjunction with website ilegal and reported on Legal Futures, was looking at the impact the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) reforms are likely to have. Carried out in February, nearly 700 people working in the legal aid-funded civil law sector responded to the survey. Some key findings included that:

  • 28.8% said that they were at risk of redundancy;
  • 17.7% said that their strategy included a move to charging for advice; and
  • areas outside of London and the Southeast would be disproportionately affected by reductions in legal advice services.

Despite alarm about potential redundancies, dedication to the legal aid sector seemed to remain high. One respondent said: "LASPO is a disgraceful piece of legislation. I will continue to support my clients through community groups and activism. Leaving them without the advice they desperately require is unconscionable."