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Legal Aid in Scotland
ChefBungle
Posts: 205 Forumite
Hi All,
Went to see my solicitor yesterday about starting court proceedings for contact so I can see my kids again. We talked about Legal Aid and I'm struggling to work out if I'm eligible. I'm in Scotland btw - different system to England&Wales I believe.
I've used the online calculator but it seems different to the forms my solicitor gave me last night, in terms of the things which are taken into account. He did a rough calculation including my rent and mortgage payment, so now I'm just totally confused.
My annual salary is £32k and my girlfriend's is £23k (we live together). If I just plug these numbers in then apparently I'm not eligible.
However, the forms I received refer to 'disposable income', which after I've paid everything (25% to my ex for the kids, half the mortgage on our old house until it sells, my rent payment, loan, credit card (the loans and credit cards were all from when I was married - matrimonial debt which is in my name solely), food, travel expenses, etc), our actual disposable income is £200 per month. Now that's living quite frugally, not going to the pub, etc - we certainly don't have a lavish lifestyle.
On this basis, surely I would be eligible for some level of assistance? Otherwise I simply can't afford it (my solictor is talking anything up to £10k if paid privately with no Legal Aid), and that just breaks my heart. I know people will probably say "you will find a way" etc but I'm up to my eyeballs in debt from my marriage, my credit rating isn't that hot just now, and my family's not in a position to lend me any money.
It appears on the face of it that if I was unemployed or on a much lower salary that I would automatically qualify for it - once again people on benefits end up getting everything whilst those of us who work bloody hard for a living end up getting the raw deal.
Any thoughts welcome!
Chef
Went to see my solicitor yesterday about starting court proceedings for contact so I can see my kids again. We talked about Legal Aid and I'm struggling to work out if I'm eligible. I'm in Scotland btw - different system to England&Wales I believe.
I've used the online calculator but it seems different to the forms my solicitor gave me last night, in terms of the things which are taken into account. He did a rough calculation including my rent and mortgage payment, so now I'm just totally confused.
My annual salary is £32k and my girlfriend's is £23k (we live together). If I just plug these numbers in then apparently I'm not eligible.
However, the forms I received refer to 'disposable income', which after I've paid everything (25% to my ex for the kids, half the mortgage on our old house until it sells, my rent payment, loan, credit card (the loans and credit cards were all from when I was married - matrimonial debt which is in my name solely), food, travel expenses, etc), our actual disposable income is £200 per month. Now that's living quite frugally, not going to the pub, etc - we certainly don't have a lavish lifestyle.
On this basis, surely I would be eligible for some level of assistance? Otherwise I simply can't afford it (my solictor is talking anything up to £10k if paid privately with no Legal Aid), and that just breaks my heart. I know people will probably say "you will find a way" etc but I'm up to my eyeballs in debt from my marriage, my credit rating isn't that hot just now, and my family's not in a position to lend me any money.
It appears on the face of it that if I was unemployed or on a much lower salary that I would automatically qualify for it - once again people on benefits end up getting everything whilst those of us who work bloody hard for a living end up getting the raw deal.
Any thoughts welcome!
Chef
0
Comments
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I think the figure quoted by your solicitor (10k) is a bit of an exageration.
Can't help with the LA aspet, the lawyers I used don't do legal aid, however my final bill was about 6k, including having to go for parental responsibility and dealing with her lawyers delaying and dragging it out (she did have legal aid, so they stretched the case out)0
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