Vale Solicitors Ltd

Family law support where there is documented domestic abuse, plus care proceedings, child protection, forced marriage, and international child abduction.

Family legal aid covers domestic abuse, child protection (including care proceedings), forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and international child abduction. Routine divorce and child arrangements are generally not covered by legal aid since the 2013 LASPO reforms unless there is evidence of domestic abuse. Care proceedings are non-means-tested for parents; other family legal aid is means and merits tested.

Help with priority debts that put your home or essentials at risk.

Debt legal aid is restricted to priority debts where someone is at immediate risk of losing their home, essential utilities, or significant assets. It covers mortgage and rent arrears leading to possession proceedings, bailiff action on essential household goods, and bankruptcy proceedings against the family home. Routine consumer debt and credit-card arrears are not covered by legal aid; free advice for those is available through Citizens Advice and StepChange.

Possession proceedings, unlawful eviction, serious disrepair, and homelessness reviews.

Housing legal aid covers urgent threats to a person's home, including mortgage and rent possession proceedings, unlawful eviction, serious disrepair posing a health risk, and reviews of homelessness decisions where the local authority has refused to house someone. Defence against anti-social behaviour proceedings and disrepair counter-claims are also in scope. Funding is means and merits tested.

Family mediation as a legal aid funded alternative to court, often required before a court application.

Family Mediation legal aid pays for trained mediators to help separating couples and families reach agreement on issues such as living arrangements, finances after separation, and time spent with children. Attending a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) is usually a legal requirement before applying to family court. Where one party qualifies financially, both parties' mediation fees are covered.

Appeals against benefits decisions at the Upper Tribunal level.

Welfare Benefits legal aid is now restricted to appeals at the Upper Tribunal level, where there is an arguable error of law in a first-tier benefits decision. It covers appeals about Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, and other benefits. Earlier-stage benefits advice was removed from legal aid in 2013 and is typically handled today by Citizens Advice and specialist welfare rights services.