Gareth Mitchell considers personal budgets, meeting eligible community care needs, the disability equality duty and aftercare services under the Mental Health Act
We're nearly in December, when I will cease harrumphing every time I see Christmas decorations in shop windows or hear another cheesy festive tune emanating from the radio. It's just as well that I will have dropped the bah humbug attitude by then, as in keeping with tradition my firm has opted to have our office Christmas party at the start of the month.
The green paper post-mortem paints a bleak picture of what civil legal aid provision will look like if the MoJ gets its way. For firms intent on continuing to provide legal aid services, the proposed ten per cent fee cut will slice such a large chunk off their thin profit margins that their very existence will be in question, possibly leaving only large volume suppliers in that space. Some sectors are already predicting that practices will have to turn away half of their clients, making substantial restructures, redundancies and closures a distinct possibility. So, as firms begin to digest the details of the coalition's consultation on legal aid cuts, the worst hit offer a snapshot of what their services may look like come the revolution.
It may be early days for the third-party funding industry, but it has already generated plenty of hype and provoked extensive debate. Jon Robins questions those on the frontline about its potential to improve the system
When outcomes focused regulation is adopted next year, the SRA's power to impose conditions on practising certificates is likely to increase – bringing both comfort and concern, says Susanna Heley
In two recent asylum cases, the ECJ has given careful consideration to individual rights while simultaneously highlighting the importance of preventing proven terrorists from benefiting from the system, says Paul Stanley NO
Lynne Passmore reviews Radmacher and the future of prenups, document disclosure, the extravagant lifestyle of a divorcing couple, and a TOLATA claim on the significance of the parties being engaged
