New chair of Resolution gives inaugural speech
The new chair of Resolution will continue action to tackle the “devastating” impact of legal aid cuts, and launch an organisation for new practitioners.
In her inaugural speech, Jo Edwards, partner at Pennington Manches, quoted Ministry of Justice figures revealing only eight exceptional funding applications for family cases were successful, out of 617 made in the past year. Family and immigration were the two most requested areas of law for these applications, which are meant to act as a safety net.
“We know that the promised ‘safety valve’ of the availability of exceptional funding is not providing very much relief at all,” she said. On mediation, the government were “cutting off their nose to spite their face” by removing the key sources of referral.
Since legal aid was cut for private family law matters last April, Resolution has launched a financial product to provide family law clients with loans for legal advice, in conjunction with Iceberg Client Credit, as well as Family Matters, a service for separating couples.
Jo pledged to support all members, and to establish a National “YRes” Committee for recently-qualified practitioners.
