In the case of R(Rights of Women) v The Secretary of State for Justice and the Lord Chancellor [2016] EWCA Civ 91, it was upheld that the regulation stating that domestic violence evidence must be within the last two years in order for the client to qualify for Legal Aid. As a result of this…
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Swain & Co family Legal Aid still going strong as further firms drop out of the market
At Swain & Co Solicitors we are proud of our track record at securing Legal Aid for our clients, who are often some of the most vulnerable members of society. We offer Legal Aid across a range of services including family law, housing law, prison law, mental health and community care work. We have built…
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The Importance of Building A Case To Leave Mental Health Hospital
Another Swain & Co Client Secures Their Conditional Discharge From Hospital – The Importance of Building A Case For Discharge This week Tom Battarbee, Manager of Mental Health for the Swain & Co Liverpool office, helped a patient at a low security hospital in Warrington, secure conditional discharge. This patient received a hospital order on…
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Safeguarding enquiries increase following Care Act 2014 implementation
A report commissioned by the Local Government Association found a marked increase in the number of safeguarding enquiries being referred to local authorities. Since the implementation of the Care Act 2014 on 1 April 2015 councils have handled a staggering 103,900 matters in a six month time period. This is double the previous year. The…
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Funding for Domestic Violence victims
Domestic Violence campaigners petition government to provide funding for victims. Campaigners against domestic violence are protesting against the government’s proposed cuts to funding for services which help vulnerable people. George Osbourne will announce the budget plans for the next 12 months this week and it is anticipated he will announce further cuts to services, such…
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New service to help separating parents
New service launched to help separating parents negotiate contact arrangements When a relationship breaks down there are always important and difficult decisions to make. Former couples have to consider how to separate their finances, deal with joint assets and perhaps most importantly, how to navigate a smooth path for their children throughout the process. Central…
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Legal aid changes
Campaign group, Rights of Women, have won an appeal in the Court of Appeal challenging the legal aid rules. The Court of Appeal have ruled that government changes to legal aid for victims of domestic abuse are unlawful. The rule that a victim has to prove that they have been subjected to abuse within the…
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Watford landlord fined £30,000 for overcrowded property
A landlord in Watford has been fined £30,000 for housing 12 tenants in a five person flat. The landlord charged £515 per week in rent for the property making nearly £27,000 a year. Zuo Jun admitted 11 charges under the Housing Act when he appeared before Watford magistrates on Monday. When Watford council attended…
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Nearly 100,000 children in England classed as homeless
New figures released by the housing charity Shelter show 99,080 children are classed as homeless in England so far this year by being housed in temporary accommodation. This is estimated to rise to 105,251 by Christmas. Out of that figure, more than 2,500 families are living in B&B accommodation of which 830 of those…
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Young homeless given tickets for London night bus
In cases where an emergency bed cannot be found, young homeless Londoners are being given tickets to allow them to sleep on night buses. New Horizon Youth Centre, a day centre in central London, said staff distributed bus tickets on a regular basis so young people could have a safe place to sleep. …
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