Diary of a Legal Aid Lawyer: Supporting legal aid teams better
Working as a lawyer in legal aid is going to be tough. Long hours, distressing cases, and distraught clients. This is an area of law for those who really do want to make a difference. Legal aid lawyers aren’t the flash style of lawyer portrayed in a myriad of films and TV series. Rather, they […]
Diary of a Legal Aid Lawyer: Refuges
Clarity – and some relief – for residents and staff of refuges Anyone who has worked in the area of domestic abuse for any length of time will be relieved at the sensible and well thought through judgment of Sir Andrew McFarlane in Re P (Service on Parents in a Refuge) [2023] EWHC 471 (Fam) […]
Diary of a Legal Aid Lawyer: Tips for running domestic abuse cases
Tips for running domestic abuse cases How comfortable do you feel telling your best friend your most personal worries and concerns? Confident? Fairly confident? After all, they are your best friend, they know all about you, don’t they. Or do they? I’m pretty sure that most of us don’t tell even our best friend about […]
Diary of a Legal Aid Lawyer: Reasonable adjustments in court
Requesting reasonable adjustments to help clients feel more at ease when at court We work with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. They may have a mental impairment that affects their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities or protective characteristics such as learning disabilities, mobility concerns, or diminished mental capacity. For […]
Diary of a Legal Aid Lawyer: Strategies for targets and motivation
It’s no secret that life for a legal aid lawyer is very difficult in terms of targets and motivation. As a business, offering legal aid services comes with the knowledge that pay is poor and pro bono work is likely. Nonetheless, a legal aid lawyer does this willingly because we want to ensure the most […]
Diary of a legal aid lawyer: Getting the most from your talented legal aid team
When I first started at The Family Law Company, I asked a member of our support staff where she worked – she said she was “just in the basement”. But to me there was no “just” about it. All good things are built on solid foundations; the most important people are often behind the scenes. […]
Diary of a legal aid lawyer: Making the most of initial client interviews
As lawyers, we understand that someone coming to an appointment for the first time is likely to feel uncertain about the experience. After all, lawyers aren’t always portrayed in the best light in TV programmes! Clients are often at their lowest point, with no confidence or faith that anyone wants to help them. Whether it […]
Diary of a legal aid lawyer: Avoiding costing jeopardy
The LAA costs assessment guidance rules often seem overwhelming and full of potential pitfalls. But there are ways to help avoid issues when costing your file at the end of a case. Some may seem basic, but it’s surprising how often they’re overlooked. For example, it’s important to check your funding certificate and ensure the […]
Diary of a legal aid lawyer: Why we need to be trauma-informed
As family lawyers, we support clients through the worst that life can bring. Whether that’s the end of a relationship or abusive behaviour, it’s usually what brings them to us in the first place. We need to understand trauma and how it affects how someone functions, and the first step is to become a trauma […]
