In the late 1940s, there was a crisis in this country, as many more couples were divorcing as a consequence of the second world war. Recognising something urgently needed to be done, cash-strapped governments, both Tory and Labour, introduced legal aid, recognising lawyers were the answer to the enormous problem and that those lawyers should be paid.

The strategy worked, but over time it was deemed too expensive, despite pared down rates.

Compare and contrast the response of recent governments, Tory and Labour, as they slowly reduced legal aid to almost zero for such couples. They rubbished the lawyers, attempted to make the public feel like failures for going to court, threw their lot into mediation, required mediation infor...

Marilyn Stowe
Partner
Stowe Family Law LLP

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