Law Society intervention fails to prevent 'deadlock'

The funding of expert witnesses in family cases reached a stalemate yesterday after the High Court ruled that the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) - formerly the Legal Services Commission - was not obliged to cover the full cost of an expert witness.

After intervening in the case, the Law Society reacted with disappointment at the ruling. The LSC is not normally obliged to fully fund the cost of an expert witness where the child is legally aided and the parents are unable to afford the costs.

Law Society president Lucy Scott-Montcrieff said: "The LSC's position simply results in deadlock. The court has first to decide that an expert report is necessary, not just desirable, to help it decide a child's future, but ...

Jean Yves

IICJ

This article is part of a subscription-based access, to continue reading, please contact your library