interlaw.org.uk

Law Society argues for pause in legal aid reforms

The Law Society is lobbying the Government hard to think again about the extensive planned cuts to legal aid, which would potentially remove access to justice for as many as 500,000 cases a year. The Government seems intent on rushing through these measures rapidly and part of the Law Society “beef” is that there has been no proper consultation and that this is vital as the type of cases which would be affected involve fundamental legal rights in areas such as divorce, maintenance for children and medical negligence.

Other arguments put forward by the Law Society are that the Government thinking that significant sums will be saved by reducing legal aid is flawed and that such costs will simply reappear in different areas, such as there will be more litigants in person which will create delays and inefficiencies in court process and increase court costs and that there will also be a “double whammy” in that if legal aid is reduced more claimants will look for no win no fee agreements, and the Government is planning to only allow a claimant’s legal costs on success to come out any award and not be payable by the opponent as a success fee. This will again reduce access to justice the Law Society claims.

The UK’s legal industry, with an annual turnover of £18bn, could be severely damaged, the society claims. It has offered the government an alternative programme for saving £384m through reducing unnecessary court hearings and other efficiencies.

The Law Society has received criticism from some solicitors in the past for either not reacting or reacting too late to changes which affect solicitors. The Law Society seems to have listened to this and has gone as far as commencing a media campaign under the banner “Sound Off for Justice”. These “adverts” are appearing on taxis around London now.

Predicting whether a marriage will succeed

Jonathan Romain, a Berkshire rabbi  has devised a 20 question quiz which he believes may help couples to find out if they are suited.

According to a 2008 population trends report from the Vital Statistics Output Branch, from the Office of National Statistics, one in two marriages end in divorce in England and Wales.

Below are the questions from Dr Romain :-

•             Do you know your partner’s  favourite food ?

•             Will your partner want to get a pet in the future ?

•             Does your partner suffer from any allergies ?

•             Describe one of the happiest moments of your partner’s life before you met ?

•             Answer the same question regarding the saddest moment ?

•             Does  your partner want to have children and if so, how many and when?

•             How regularly does your partner  visit  family ?

•             Are there any family traditions your partner has which he/she would wish to continue?

•             What is your partner’s favourite kind of holiday ?

•             Is  your partner  a saver or spender by nature ?

•             Is it easy for you to buy him/her a birthday present ?

•             Where would your partner like to live in the foreseeable future ?

•             Who is the biggest  influence on your partner excluding you ?

•             Your partner’s  greatest regret ?

•             Joint,  separate bank accounts or a combination ?

•             Private or public  education  for children?

•             Summarise the partner’s ideal view of the future?

•             What  habits or characteristics do you have which  he/she does not like?

•             What would you most like to change about him/her?

•             What are the main values he/she has?

We have highlighted some of the questions in bold as being very obviously significant and perhaps indicative of whether a relationship may flourish. Some of the others we are not sure about, but that’s just our opinion. Dr Romain concludes that getting 15 or more answers correct indicates a  great future, 9 to 14 suggest good chances but work is needed and less than 8 right suggests thinking again !.