There has been much publicity surrounding legal aid cuts recently to the extent that many believe that legal aid is no longer available for family cases which is not the case. Legal aid is still available for Protective Orders such as Injunctions (Non-Molestation Orders and Restraining Orders) and Forced Marriage Protection Orders without any requirement to show evidence of previous domestic abuse.
If you have been a victim of domestic abuse then Legal Aid is also available for Divorce and cases about Children provided that you can evidence the domestic abuse. There are many ways to evidence the abuse and it does not rely on a report being made to the police. See here for the full list of evidence together with template letters to help you obtain the evidence. One of the easiest ways to obtain the evidence is to make sure you have reported the abuse – including emotional abuse – to your GP and then ask the GP to complete the template letter confirming this. Provided you are within the financial limits for legal aid you will then qualify for legal aid to enable you to have legal representation to fight your case.
Should you wish to discuss this further please contact Rachel Horman Director and head of the Domestic Violence, Stalking and Forced Marriage Department.