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Fears as family firms fail bidding round

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19 August 2010
Categories: Legal News , Legal aid focus , Family
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Solicitor’s firms are licking their wounds after receiving the results of the family legal aid bid round.

Solicitor’s firms are licking their wounds after receiving the results of the family legal aid bid round, with lawyers warnings of advice deserts and widespread redundancies.

A survey by family law group Resolution revealed that, of the 561 firms questioned, 40% have been unsuccessful in their competitive tendering bids to provide family legal aid. The firms said they expect to have to make up to 542 redundancies.

The survey results suggest people in need of help will in future fail to find a legal adviser. Family lawyers expressed concerns that domestic abuse victims in need of emergency legal aid and those in need of specialist legal advice on issues like forced marriage will be unable to find help.

Practitioners warned of emerging ‘advice deserts’ in Dorset, Cornwall, Bedfordshire and Lincolnshire. Cornwall now has only five family legal aid providers operating from 11 offices in the county.

David Allison, chairman of Resolution, said: “Our survey has

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