We hope that by developing a legal centre in North Wales, we can somehow begin to meet the huge demand. Wales currently has only one legal centre: the Speakeasy Law Centre, based in Cardiff. It transitioned from a former counseling center to a legal center in 2019 to expand its legal services and support people seeking redress in court. We hope that by creating a new legal centre, we will be able to do the same in the North. « Significant cuts to legal aid in 2012 hit Wales hard. Adequate access to justice does not exist with the consequent threat to the rule of law. This led to the following: the Commission`s review of the justice system was the first in 200 years and set a long-term vision for its future. He noted the need for a mixed economy of legal aid, third sector and pro bono advice and support. [2] We believe that a legal centre is an essential part of this mixed economy. Perhaps more than anything, however, we believe that the creation of a legal centre and the publicity that will receive its creation and continued presence will create greater awareness of people`s legal rights and ensure that everyone has a place to turn to for help in enforcing those rights. The starting point for our desire to build a legal centre in North Wales is the need for legal services mentioned above, but there are other reasons why we strongly believe that a legal centre would make a particularly significant contribution to the existing counselling sector. Often, there is a maximum salary a client can earn by working with a legal aid or pro bono lawyer.
Our goal is to build a legal center that addresses unmet needs by providing competent legal advice in the areas of housing law, immigration, public law and family law (especially domestic violence) in line with the existing advisory network and ecosystem. We aim to bring additional resources to North Wales by developing joint projects and initiatives to provide second-level advice to existing advice providers and provide access to lawyers where litigation is the only way to help individuals assert their rights. If you have a legal issue to deal with and are currently receiving food stamps or have a low income, use Super Lawyers to find an experienced legal/pro bono lawyer. In 2016, the BBC reported that only one housing provider was available in four Welsh regions, including North Wales[3]. Steve Clarke, chief executive of Tenants Wales, said: « There is nothing more important than being able to have a roof over your head, with the opportunity to receive professional legal advice during a housing crisis for many. Self-advocacy is not recommended on an issue as complicated as housing law. This will put additional pressure on voluntary organisations, which are themselves facing massive cuts. In April 2013, the government made significant changes to eligibility for legal funding. The new law removes certain types of cases from the scope of legal aid and stipulates that other cases are eligible only if they meet certain criteria. Legal aid is available for all but less serious traffic offences. Serious crimes often require a means test and, depending on your income, you may be asked to make a monthly contribution to your legal fees. Below is a list of issues for which you may be eligible for legal aid, provided you comply with the evidence and verification of resources.
Depending on your income, you may be asked to make a monthly contribution to your legal aid. As a legal centre, we will be able to provide legal aid services in areas such as housing law, public law and asylum, and hopefully obtain a warrant. We will also be able to better identify specific ways to support the delivery of legal services, public legal education and other activities related to law and justice. While lawyers and others have provided pro bono assistance and advice, these efforts are not sufficient to offset the impact of significant reductions in legal aid since 2012, when the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act came into force. Overnight, most areas of social welfare law were removed from the scope of legal aid. To find out if you qualify for legal aid, please consult www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice. « In Wales, many areas have become consultation deserts – clients have long distances to reach their nearest lawyer. Access to advice is extremely important and many issues can be resolved with this level of support, but consulting agencies are not able to handle disputes.
