Bar Council backs legal aid for all domestic abuse cases in family court

The Bar Council has called for all family court cases involving domestic abuse to be brought within the scope of the Legal Aid Agency for both parties, and for means testing to be scrapped for alleged victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

- Hannah Al-Othman

The council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has set out a package of recommendations to improve the family justice system.

Only 15% of families are eligible for legal aid which, coupled with difficulties in recruiting and retaining family solicitors, has led to huge swathes of the country becoming “legal advice deserts”, it said.

It has led to many people having to represent themselves as “litigants in person”, which the Bar Council has said can often be a traumatising process for victims and survivors.