The government has promised to extend legal aid support to anyone with parental responsibility for a child who wants to challenge applications for placement or adoption orders.
The government will also extend eligibility for non‑means tested legal aid for parents or anyone with parental responsibility who would like to oppose applications for placement orders or adoption orders in public family law proceedings. The Ministry of Justice will bring these policies in line with care and other orders classified under “Special Children Act 1989 cases”. Special Children Act cases include care orders, supervision orders, child assessment orders and emergency protection orders.
The Ministry of Justice will also bring forward proposals to provide a less draconian merits test, which will be equivalent to the merits test currently applicable in “Special Children Act 1989 cases”.
At the same time, the government has promised to increase the scope of legal aid to include Special Guardianship Orders in private family law cases and support for separated migrant children in immigration cases.
As well as a review into legal aid for placement and adoption orders, the government has confirmed that it will increase support for people accessing the justice system as litigants in person.
The review is part of a Legal Support Action Plan, the details of which were published 7 February on the government’s official website. The plan has been designed to help improve access to legal advice and support.
You can read the press release here, which has links to various documents including the action plan.
Researching Reform 
Wow, is the tide finally turning?
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Will we be able to claim compensation from social services and all others involved for the damaged they have caused, the perjury the inaccurate records, parental alienation etc.? Or is this just going to be another con i.e. paying the solicitors who never done their job properly in the first place more?
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Hi Abigail, this policy just refers to legal advice and support for certain types of hearings. The process for compensation is separate.
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Legal aid, no legal aid ,LA wins wiht a rare exceptions. Legal aid gives an illusion of possibility to win and enrich at the end solicitors, barristers and all involved Exceptof parents and children. Beyond reasonable doubt
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It’s not enough. The wrong parents and their children are being tagetted. It will just be a case of changing goalposts all the same and fudged assessments and reports until they still get what they want. Other evidence concealed.
We’re dealing with so called Professionals who can and do create Cases based on no real evidence. Potentially all parents are prey when really- no evidence should mean it’s Case over.
I read on ‘Pink Blog’ Judge’s can write or leave out or change what they want in Judgements. All well and good except where there are ones part of the problem.
Hopes are built up then dashed in the media and we are going round in loops. Seen it happening for so, so many years now. My confidence is not restored.
Xx
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I have sent Child Advice information regarding St Patricks Guild (https://www.change.org/p/rachel-mcclean-mp-make-it-a-mandatory-duty-provide-parents-with-copies-of-adoption-certificates) by email today .I am expecting a response in five days. We all need legal help. https://gyazo.com/e070e1124e305014011a72ea8e8c46ea
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Its just more money for the trough with the same old useless solicitors, barristers, Judges and others who feed from it.
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.The same holds true today as it did a hundred years ago: “He who goes to law,takes a wolf by the tail.”
In any legal action, the only winners are the legal eagles; the barristers and the judiciary.
Honest men and women become canon-fodder; victims of the legal system and just another batch of statistics.
I have become more sceptical with age and realised a long time ago that the battle against the Establishment is an impossibility, but while young and vigorous, it’s a very worthwhile game to play even if one emerges at the end like Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
I’ve played my games and enjoyed pitting my wits against some of the jumped-up twats in power, but now life has to be a little more circumspect, although my pen is always ready for action.
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Reblogged this on Musings of a Penpusher and commented:
.The same holds true today as it did a hundred years ago: “He who goes to law,takes a wolf by the tail.”
In any legal action, the only winners are the legal eagles; the barristers and the judiciary.
Honest men and women become canon-fodder; victims of the legal system and just another batch of statistics.
I have become more sceptical with age and realised a long time ago that the battle against the Establishment is an impossibility, but while young and vigorous, it’s a very worthwhile game to play even if one emerges at the end like Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
I’ve played my games and enjoyed pitting my wits against some of the jumped-up twats in power, but now life has to be a little more circumspect, although my pen is always ready for action.
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I was told I could not get legal aid if I all ready had it before
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I was also told this too so I couldn’t fight for my daughter not to be removed from me. Makes me so angry
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I hope this happens and it helps parents/guardians. SS via the local authority have access to endless funds paid for by the taxpayer to support these cases and that is wrong.
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and thats why Parents lose in court most of the time. the SS have the unfair advantage of Power and finances. not to mention Collusion with Judges.
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Social services, my solicitor and the judge of [edited] county council all forced me to agree to an interim care order as they believed my daughter was going to come into harm in the future. It was then decided by them that I’d live in the town next to my ex partner (babies dad) who I experienced emotional abuse with. This was within a 15 minute drive from him after i begged to flee the area from him. They have now removed my daughter from me and put her in foster care and told me i cannot protect her, the judge agreed for her to be taken before i could even have said my part of this all they’ve now decided she should never return into my care because i finally managed to get permission to move into another county which they didn’t like.
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