50 signatures reached
To: Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister for Courts and Justice
Increase Legal Aid Rates for Family Mediators
We are asking the Minister for Courts & Justice to acknowledge the important role family mediators have in the judicial system and ask to increase the Legal Aid rates paid to family mediators. The last pay increase was over 20 years ago.
Why is this important?
The Ministry of Justice has not increased the Legal Aid rates for family mediators since 1997 - that's over 20 years. Less and less mediators can afford to do Legal Aid cases and some areas of England and Wales have no or very little Legal Aid provision to offer families facing the financial and emotional distress of separation.
According to the Office for National Statistics prices today are 76.8% higher than prices in 1997. It is only fair that mediators should be respected by the Ministry of Justice by being paid a rate that is line with inflation.
By signing this petition, we ask the Ministry of Justice to increase the Legal Aid rate. It is a professional service that benefits families in distress and reduces the costs of the family court, and that this should be reflected in the monies paid to Legal Aid funded family mediators.
