Family law cases face delays amid row over legal aid funding

Family law cases face delays amid row over legal aid funding

People seeking state-funded legal ­assistance in divorce, separation and other family law proceedings face the prospect of waiting longer for help due to a shortfall in funding.

Legal Aid Board €1.3m over budget and facing staffing crisis due to increase in asylum seeker cases

Board told Department of Justice it was struggling with 'staff retention issues and low morale' due to its workload

Legal aid services ‘overwhelmed’ by asylum cases as board €1.3m over budget

The Legal Aid Board has told the Department of Justice it is running €1.3million over budget and faces closing some of its centres as it deals with a huge rise in cases involving asylum seekers. Asylum rates have risen from around 3,600 in 2018 to over 18,500 last year, but only a small pool of solicitors are experts in the area. In a series of letters, the board’s senior management said they were struggling with ‘staff retention issues and low …