LEGAL FUNDING
Legal funding is a subject that changes every year. When you research this subject, you need to make sure the figures are up to date. The government creates the annual budget and plans how much money can be given to each sector. The Ministry of Justice gets given a fixed amount of money for the entire year. If this fund runs out then there is no more money so at the end of the annual year there is less money to be used in cases.
- In criminal cases, the government will fund the Prosecution (Crown Prosecution Service) who put forward cases in the criminal divisions. The defendant will need to put forward their case in court. The claimant is given free legal advice if they cannot afford to pay for their own solicitor to defend them in the Magistrates’ or Crown Court. Even if somebody can afford a solicitor but refuses to, they can be given free legal advice from an advocate because everybody is entitled to representation in court.
- There are differences when there a private disputes. There can be legal funding for some cases in private law. There is no legal funding for claims in personal injury. This is why people who cannot afford a solicitor use No Win, No Fee claims.
- These are out of court settlements usually so there is never a losing ‘case’ in court. This reduces costs but means the amount of compensation given to the claimant who have been wronged in less.