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Hi,
So I went through a court case before with one of my ex's in 2017.. It basically broke my financial situation; I pay £300 a month to my bank to pay off the pirate solicitor fees...
Bring around 2021, I had a child with another mother who I thought wouldn't drag me down this road.. But she did.. I get around £1400 a month but not sure if I can still claim legal aid in the courts? My outgoings are far more than my incoming. Especially with the over £300 worth of child maintenance, on top of the £300 loan. I have to pay car fees on top of paypal credit which I owe which is another £250 a month without the car fees..
I don't fancy another £30,000 debt for a court case. I can't get any money from the bank anyway where my credit rating is poor. I have been a victim of domestic abuse in the relationship, so, so far I've got him to refer me to a domestic violence team to support me. But will this be enough?
Any advise would be welcome. Thank you everyone.
As far as legal aid goes, you can check on the .gov.uk website to see if you qualify. If you've been a victim of domestic abuse, then you could try mankind.org.uk who support male victims. Or there may be a local organisation near you which supports victims of domestic abuse. They will support men as well as women. Its not clear what the court case is about but you can represent yourself. There are several guides on the advice now.org.uk website which might help. Good luck and its very unfortunate you find yourself in this situation for a second time.
Hi Kieran,
I think it's unlikely you would qualify for legal aid, based on your earnings/savings if you have any. still worth a check: https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid
there are lot of solicitors out there that have legal aid clients. if you speak to one, they may check to see if you are eligible.
I understand your predicament of court case costs. I self-represented last year for changes to child arrangement order. could no longer afford to spend large sums on lawyers.
@champagne
Amazing thanks for the advice. Do you think legal aid would look bad on me anyway if I want to go for shared custody?
I'm not even too sure what things the judge decide on for joint custody.. Do you have any ideas? That's ideally what I want. But a lady I spoke to on the phone today really made me feel hopeless with shared custody.
Kind regards,
Kieran
Legal aid shouldn't look bd on you if you're going for shared custody. The Judge will rely heavily on a report from Cafcass before making a decision. Cafcass will want to be sure that you have the time and accommodation necessary for shared custody. Its not usual but is becoming more common. You can make your C100 application without a solicitor and there is a guide on the advicenow.org.uk website. You have to try mediation before making the application and the cost is around £100. If your ex won't participate, then the mediator signs the form to say that you've tried.
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