Legal services cuts 'will hit rural areas hardest'

Legal services cuts will be felt most keenly in rural areas, it has been stated.

Family law expert Philipa Pearson claims: "The process was loaded heavily in favour of large law firms in big cities and towns," adding: "This will be very bad news for people in rural market towns," the Ludlow Advertiser reports.

Individuals seeking personal injury compensation may also be affected, as services supported under legal aid are likely to have been cut back.

This may mean lawyers have a conflict of interest when working on certain cases, as there could be fewer legal professionals active in any given area.

Equally, people might find they have to travel prohibitive distances in order to access a solicitor who is still being funded under the new Legal Services Commission system.

Urban centres have also missed out on financial support, as the Manchester Evening News reported today (September 16th) a free legal services provider in the city will only receive around one-fifth of the budget it needs as a result of the cutbacks.