Civil Access To Justice Flashcards
What does access to justice involve?
Both an open system of justice and also being able to fund the cost of a case.
How do helplines provide access to justice?
Give civil legal advice and are government run.
Nearly 160,000 calls a year.
Provide info about solicitors and legal aid.
The citizens advice bureaux
Important in providing legal advice.
Operates in 2500 countries
Gives advice about issues such as employment, debt and housing to 2.5 million a year.
Law centres
Provide free legal advice and sometimes representation in areas where there are few solicitors.
Many clients are disadvantaged.
Funding cuts have reduced the number of law centres.
Trade unions
Offer free legal advice for work related problems.
Many also offer free legal advice for other problems such as personal injury cases.
Schemes run by lawyers
Since 1996 volunteer barristers have staffed the Bar Pro Bono Unit.
This gives free free advice to those who cant afford to pay and who cant gain legal aid.
They give advice on any area of law and also (when necessary) represent the client in court proceedings.
What is the means test?
Application for government-funded advice or representation used to sow that someone doesn’t have the funds to pay for their own lawyer.
What are the limits on the means test?
Gross income - not eligible if over £2,657 per month.
Disposable income- £733 per month.
Disposable capital limit - £8,000 for all civil legal.
What is a conditional fee agreement?
The solicitor and client agree on the fee that would normally be charged for such a case.
The agreement sets it what the solicitors success fee will be if he/ she wins the case.
