This course is aimed at existing practices who undertake exclusively or in part family legal aid work and those who may be contemplating opening such a practice.
Since the "Carter Report" there has been continuing and growing uncertainty about the future of legal aid. Whilst planning for the future has become a formidable task, ignoring the need to do so is not the answer.
Any practice that intends to continue to practise in the field of legal aid whether exclusively or otherwise must have in place an efficient management structure to address the constant procedural changes and demands as well as a contingency plan to which energy and resources can be directed.
- Business plan
- Recruiting and managing the team
- Merger or "take over"
- Financial and staffing implications
- Working a Child Care Case (in the light of fixed fees; the new Public Law Outline and the Increase in Court Fees)
- The Use of paralegals
- What type of Practice - Legal Aid/Mixed
- Firm's ethos
- How to develop/expand into private family work
- Types of Family work within the private sector
- Ancillary Relief and Collaborative Law