Close to 50 per cent of soon-to-be-ex couples going to court have no legal representation because they are not eligible for legal aid. To streamline the process, the government plans to set up a law trainee and student network from which couples can seek advice before resorting to litigation. Simon Hughes, a Lib Dem family justice minister, said: ‘We need to try to sort out issues for people before they go through the door of the court. I want lawyers out of the process as much as possible.’ This major change is meant to speed up family court proceedings, which a 2011 Family Justice Review found can damage children’s’ futures. Source: Daily Mail
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