Do-it-yourself divorce

Press, 19 June 1976, Page 6

Do-it-yourself divorce

NZPA London Do-it-yourself divorces may be the next result of Britain’s restriction on public spending. Legal aid for undefended divorce hearings will be drastically cut under propo-i sals heard in the House of] Lords. The proposed cuts may! save as much as £6m (about SNZIO.Bm) of the £34ml (about SNZ6I.2m) being) spent this year for civil' legal aid — most of which i goes to matrimonial cases. ; There will be no legal aid; for actual hearings because; under the new procedures it [

i will be possible to get an;; undefended divorce without [■ ; a hearing in open court, ex- : cept in cases where mis-11 ; conduct has been alleged or! the custody of minorj: I children is in question. ii A person who wants a di-i • ivorce will only have to file 1 ’[affidavit evidence in support! [of the divorce petition, and!' ■[if the court registrar is sat-1; isfied he will pass it on to a I [judge who will announce ab ;|decree nisi in open court. h ' The Lord Chancellor (Lord[l l Elwyn-Jones) said the only;: [way to save money was top [withdraw legal aid from un-|] [defended divorce cases. | But aid would still belt

[available in special cases ■where legal aid authorities said hardship would be suffered without it. A spokesman for the law I society’s legal committee [described the estimated £6m [saving as “extremely speculative.” I “The profession will be I very concerned not only [about the threat to its own (income but over the difficulties that would face the 'ordinary person trying tc (handle his own divorce. The imove will mean that only the very rich and the very (poor will now be able to gel [legal advice for divorce,” he said.