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Legal Aid: Changes will keep parents out of court

Changes to the legal aid system that could see lawyers paid more to keep separating parents out of court will have a positive impact, say family law experts.

As part of a legal aid redesign announced by the Government, the three current levels of legal aid for families will be combined into one level with a standard fee, called Family Help.

Solicitors will be incentivised to spend as much time as possible with families at the start of proceedings, encouraging parents to solve problems themselves.

David Emmerson, chair of Resolution's legal aid committee, said there was "too big a tendency" for lawyers to go to very long hearings that were not in the best interests of the child.

Angela Lake-Carroll, director of children's and family services for the Legal Services Commission - responsible for legal aid - said frontloading remuneration for solicitors would allow them to seek early settlements.

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