Holly Pelham Legal Officer
Helping Women through the Law - AVA
Helping Women through the Law - AVA
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<strong>Holly</strong> <strong>Pelham</strong>, <strong>Legal</strong> <strong>Officer</strong><br />
holly@row.org.uk<br />
Helping women through the law<br />
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Rights of Women<br />
Free confidential legal advice line for<br />
women<br />
Accessible publications<br />
Extensive training program on family law<br />
immigration and asylum<br />
Guidance for policy makers<br />
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Overview<br />
Re L<br />
Adoption and Children Act 2002<br />
Children and Adoption Act 2006<br />
Ministry of Justice report<br />
Access to legal aid<br />
’10 top tips’
The legal framework<br />
Re L Re V Re M Re H [2000] 2FLR334<br />
Adoption and Children Act 2002<br />
Extends definition of harm to include a<br />
child seeing or hearing domestic<br />
violence (‘ill-treatment of another’)<br />
Children and Adoption Act 2006<br />
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Children and Adoption Act 2006<br />
Received royal assent on 21 June<br />
2006 but many sections not yet in<br />
force<br />
Contact activity directions<br />
Enforcement orders<br />
Compensation for financial loss<br />
Family assistance orders<br />
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Ministry of Justice Report, 25.9.08<br />
Outcomes of applications to<br />
court for contact orders after<br />
parental separation or<br />
divorce<br />
http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/outco<br />
mes-applications-contact-orders.pdf<br />
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Access to legal advice<br />
Since 2001 solicitors’ family law<br />
firms down by 50%.<br />
Rights of Women research ‘Access<br />
to Justice 2007’ showed 55% of<br />
women who were denied legal aid<br />
represented themselves in court<br />
proceedings.<br />
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Welfare Checklist<br />
section 1 (3) Children Act 1989<br />
Wishes and feelings of child<br />
Physical emotional and educational needs<br />
Likely effect of change in circumstances<br />
Age sex background etc.<br />
Harm<br />
Capacity of each parent to meet child’s<br />
needs<br />
Range of powers available
Top 10 tips<br />
1. Ask for a ‘Re L’ hearing<br />
2. Don’t let her be bullied<br />
3. Be a McKenzie friend<br />
4. Get the judge to reserve the case<br />
to herself<br />
5. Tell her to keep notes<br />
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Top 10 tips cont…<br />
6. Collect evidence<br />
7. Milk being a litigant in person!<br />
8. Assume the judge knows nothing<br />
9. Always refer to welfare checklist<br />
10. Get legal advice fast
Further information<br />
Call Rights of Women’s legal advice<br />
line 020 7251 6657<br />
Download free legal information<br />
from our website www.row.org.uk<br />
Read Rights of Women’s Child<br />
Contact Handbook<br />
Find a solicitor on<br />
www.clsdirect.gov.uk<br />
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All rights reserved. No part of this<br />
material may be reproduced, stored in a<br />
retrieval system or transmitted in any<br />
form or by any means, without<br />
permission from Rights of Women.<br />
© Rights of Women 2008<br />
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