*/
Family law barristers have joined with the NSPCC to call for an urgent Parliamentary inquiry into the state of the family justice system. A coalition, including the Bar Council and Family Law Bar Association, have written to the chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, Alan Beith MP, calling for an inquiry into the impact of repeated cuts in the family justice system.
The letter refers to The Work of the Family Bar, research commissioned by the Family Law Bar Association, and describes the profession as “close to breaking point as it struggles to cope with increasingly complex caseloads, the pressure to protect the interests of vulnerable clients, disruptive patterns of work and repeated cuts in pay.”
The “week-in-a-life” study, carried out by Dr Debora Price and Anne Laybourne of the King’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy, analysed data from 1,610 barristers in 133 chambers and involved 5,012 pieces of work, 40% of which was undertaken under legal aid graduated fees.
The respondents were specialists: 75% spent 75% of their time on family law; half (the more senior) particularly specialised in ancillary relief or public law [children] work. Half worked more than 46 hours a week, and a quarter more than 56 hours per week, with median taxable profits of £66,000. Half earned less than £39,000 on legal aid work, in which hourly gross rates are £57.
Speaking at the launch of the research last month, Desmond Browne QC, Chairman of the Bar, said: “Barristers are not asking for more money.” The concern is the impact of the “abhorrent” cuts by the Legal Services Commission of £6.5m in counsel’s fees in children’s cases, which have just taken effect. Further cuts of up to £20–30m (more than a 50% cut in many complex cases) are likely to follow, as a result of the consultation Family Legal Aid Funding from 2010 (December 2008). The last time the LSC imposed substantial changes in family legal aid, in 2001, 28% of the family Bar stopped doing publicly funded ancillary relief hearings, the research showed. It is common now for those above 15 years’ call to refuse legally aided work.
Chair of the Family Law Bar Association, Lucy Theis QC, pointed out that “expertise in family law is not gained overnight” and these cuts will “drive expertise away, which is not in the public interest”.
The letter refers to The Work of the Family Bar, research commissioned by the Family Law Bar Association, and describes the profession as “close to breaking point as it struggles to cope with increasingly complex caseloads, the pressure to protect the interests of vulnerable clients, disruptive patterns of work and repeated cuts in pay.”
The “week-in-a-life” study, carried out by Dr Debora Price and Anne Laybourne of the King’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy, analysed data from 1,610 barristers in 133 chambers and involved 5,012 pieces of work, 40% of which was undertaken under legal aid graduated fees.
The respondents were specialists: 75% spent 75% of their time on family law; half (the more senior) particularly specialised in ancillary relief or public law [children] work. Half worked more than 46 hours a week, and a quarter more than 56 hours per week, with median taxable profits of £66,000. Half earned less than £39,000 on legal aid work, in which hourly gross rates are £57.
Speaking at the launch of the research last month, Desmond Browne QC, Chairman of the Bar, said: “Barristers are not asking for more money.” The concern is the impact of the “abhorrent” cuts by the Legal Services Commission of £6.5m in counsel’s fees in children’s cases, which have just taken effect. Further cuts of up to £20–30m (more than a 50% cut in many complex cases) are likely to follow, as a result of the consultation Family Legal Aid Funding from 2010 (December 2008). The last time the LSC imposed substantial changes in family legal aid, in 2001, 28% of the family Bar stopped doing publicly funded ancillary relief hearings, the research showed. It is common now for those above 15 years’ call to refuse legally aided work.
Chair of the Family Law Bar Association, Lucy Theis QC, pointed out that “expertise in family law is not gained overnight” and these cuts will “drive expertise away, which is not in the public interest”.
Family law barristers have joined with the NSPCC to call for an urgent Parliamentary inquiry into the state of the family justice system. A coalition, including the Bar Council and Family Law Bar Association, have written to the chair of the House of Commons Justice Select Committee, Alan Beith MP, calling for an inquiry into the impact of repeated cuts in the family justice system.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
