Family law organisation Resolution have been awarded further funding to allow them to continue their innovative Family Matters service.
Pilot schemes of the service are currently being run in Newcastle, Crewe and Oxford. Family Matters guides offer a “helping hand” to separating families who were entitled to legal aid until changes to the system were made in April 2013.
Family lawyers and mediators become Family Matters guides and give crucial information to low income separating couples. They also signpost them towards local sources of support.
Couples where one parent receives a form of state benefit or is earning less than the living wage are deemed eligible for the service.
More than 1,000 parents have benefited from the scheme since April 2013, and the extended funding will enable Resolution to help 478 additional parents.
The scheme is supported by The Department of Work and Pensions Innovation Fund, which has contributed £10m to this and various other innovative projects. The funding will allow the service to continue until September this year, but Resolution hopes to secure further financial support after that point.
Resolution also recently launched its Family Law Manifesto, which called for an overhaul of family law in England and Wales. It highlighted six key areas they believed needed updating to become consistent with the structure modern British families.
They believe families should be given more overall support while divorcing or separating and wish to see more protection given to those who are divorcing and at risk of domestic abuse.
It is legally necessary to assign blame to a partner when divorcing, which can create conflict from the offset – Resolution want this to change. They also highlight the emotional and financial cost of court proceedings and the lottery of leaving a family’s future to be decided by a judge. Resolution stress the importance of keeping disputes away from court and want more emphasis placed on out of court alternatives such as mediation, collaborative law and arbitration.
The head of the family department at Macks Solicitors, said: “The Family Matters pilot scheme in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is provided by David Gray Solicitors, and is a great service. But it is not able to plug the gap left by the withdrawal of legal aid – nor is it available anywhere else in the North East”.
“It is also clear that the law and systems in place to deal with issues that arise when a relationship breaks down are outdated. Hopefully Resolution’s manifesto will go some way towards raising awareness and initiating some fairly fundamental changes in due course.”
Macks’ divorce solicitors are experienced in all areas of divorce or separation, and practice collaborative law aimed at keeping disputes out of court. Our solicitors recognise that each family is different and will look at resolving issues in a way that best suits you and your family and will aspire to keep the process as amicable and constructive as possible. Macks family law solicitors can be contacted on 01642 252 828, if you wish to arrange an initial consultation about your divorce or separation.
