Housing legal aid work
Legal Futures, Gazette, Business Fast and Business Mayor cover the Law Society’s concern regarding the collapse of housing legal aid. This comes as we commission our Frontier Economics report, which identifies the costs of applying for and maintaining a housing legal aid contract, to inform the government’s major civil legal aid review.
We find that the average fee-earner was only able to recover around half of the full costs of providing housing legal aid.
Law Society president Nick Emmerson: “This vital research reveals the lengths providers have to go to keep housing legal aid afloat in the current environment – routinely working grossly excessive hours and cross-subsidising from other parts of their businesses. It’s therefore no surprise that we’re seeing providers exit the market because they can no longer sustain this approach. Those who remain struggle to attract younger people to legal aid work.
“At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is driving rising numbers of evictions and repossessions, the government needs to use its civil legal aid review to invest in legal aid now before it collapses completely.”
Probate enquiry phone lines
Times (£) reports HM Courts & Tribunals (HMCTS) has reduced the opening hours of its probate enquiry phone lines, as probate delays rise.
President Nick Emmerson said: “We recognise efforts by HMCTS in reducing delays and cautiously agree with the temporary reduction of probate inquiry line opening hours in order to address a forecasted peak in applications.
“However, we have long highlighted concerns around the performance and level of expertise of staff. There needs to be sustained improvement in the probate service. Without a new level of staffing, the change in probate inquiry line opening hours will be in vain and our members’ clients will continue to suffer.”
Evictions on the rise
Landlord Today reports on the most recent quarterly data which shows that evictions increased by 14% between October-December 2023.
Vice president Richard Atkinson said: “The rising number of evictions and repossessions remains a major concern as we are deeply concerned about the state of the housing legal aid system.
“With the cost-of-living crisis and high interest rates, many are struggling to pay rent and mortgage. For those at risk of losing their home, access to housing legal assistance is critical.
“Yet our research found that 25.3 million people (42%) do not have a local legal aid provider for housing advice. More and more companies can no longer afford to offer this service as the cost of legal aid has fallen by almost 50% since 1996.”
Nigeria-UK legal services agreement
The Citizen and Punch report the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has rejected an agreement to allow UK lawyers to practise in Nigeria.
The piece mentions our role in meeting officials from the NBA to try to form a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and the UK on legal services.
Presidential priorities
Modern Law Magazine (pages 6-9) publishes a featured piece on Law Society president Nick Emmerson and his presidential priorities online under ‘Editors Picks.’
“The influence and access the Law Society wields, must be put to use for the benefit of all of our members, both across England and Wales and overseas,” he said.
“I want to fling open the doors of the Law Society, both physically and virtually, and invite our entire profession in to participate.
“I will advocate for the value that solicitors add to every part of England and Wales when speaking to government, Parliament and senior stakeholders. This means highlighting not just the role our profession plays in providing access to justice but also our economic heft as a successful business sector.”
Also worth a read:
- Generative AI will change hourly billing for lawyers - Legal Futures
- Indemnity costs awarded against both sides in Mirror phone hacking trial - Gazette
- Hogan Lovells releases a record set of financial results for the 2023 Financial Year - Global Legal Post
- Registered voter with disabilities who was blocked from voting due to new voter ID rules has brought a legal challenge against the UK government - The National
- Proposals to increase fees to the Supreme Court - Gazette
- Latham & Watkins cuts off its Hong Kong lawyers from international databases – FT (£)
- Home Office was warned placing migrants on RAF base may not save money – i news (£)
- Report reveals 'filthy' conditions in Bedford Prison – BBC
- Top judge insists courts can handle Post Office appeals despite planned legislation – FT (£)
- Alex Chalk says cowardly victim blaming of 'rough sex' killing is no defence and won't be tolerated – Daily Mail