The Legal Services Commission has been forced to act after it emerged that only 50 parents had been referred to the Government scheme since its launch last September (Children Now, news, 6-12 April).
The low number of referrals has led to serious concern that legal aid processes are causing hold-ups.
Yvonne Brown, children's committee chair at Resolution, the organisation that represents family lawyers, said couples were required to attend a compulsory mediation meeting before applying for legal aid, leading to delays. "One client got so frustrated with the process that he gave his case up," she said.
At a workshop Brown chaired last month it was suggested that solicitors be given a special dispensation to issue a court application without holding a certificate for legal aid in order to speed the process up.
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