They Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) have launched a consultation on proposals to reform payments from 2010 for solicitors and barristers carrying out family legal aid work.
The reforms are designed to protect services for children and families and ensure the future of legal aid in light of spiralling costs in parts of the system.
Proposed changes include introducing a standard fee scheme that replaces hourly rates for solicitors representing clients in private family law cases.
Carolyn Regan, chief executive of the LSC, said: "Early indications show that standard fees are successful in not only controlling the cost of legal aid, but do fairly reward lawyers for the valuable work they do for clients. This is critical in cases involving families who often experience multiple problems as a result of family breakdown."
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