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19 January 2022
Issue: 7963 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Family , Mediation
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Fund advice as well as mediation, lawyers urge

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Solicitors have welcomed the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ’s) decision to invest an additional £1.3m into the family mediation voucher scheme, but reiterated calls for legal aid funding to be restored

Under the voucher scheme, which launched in March 2021 and is administered by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), families are given £500 towards the cost of mediation. According to the MoJ, 4,400 vouchers have been used, 77% of cases reached full or partial agreements and 49% would not have considered mediation without the voucher.

Law Society president I Stephanie Boyce said: ‘Steps to address the backlog in the family court system are helpful.

‘However, data shows a straight line between the removal of private family proceedings from the scope of legal aid funding and a reduction in mediations. We have repeatedly said early legal advice for family law cases―cut by LASPO (the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act) in 2013―should be restored.’

Issue: 7963 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , Family , Mediation
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