Free legal advice providers face £154m cut

Providers of free legal advice may be severely hit by government cuts to the ministry of justice budget, with the Law Society warning total annual income could be reduced by up to £154 million.

Justice secretary Kenneth Clarke told parliament: "At more than £2bn each year, we currently have one of the most expensive legal aid systems in the world. This cannot continue."

However, those who offer free legal advice warn the reductions will harm all but the very poorest individuals, making it difficult to access legal services in cases such as family and divorce law.

Clinical negligence is one area where individuals may find they can no longer access free legal help.

A recent record-breaking claim by a group of people against a hospital led to a £1 million payout by the NHS Trust responsible for Stafford hospital, where a significantly higher-than-normal death rate over a period of ten years caused unnecessary deaths, it has been found.

The cuts could mean free legal help will no longer be available in cases such as these.

Published by Rose Orlik