Written question asked by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Friday, 30 May 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 3 June 2008. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Legal Aid: Separation

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was provided in legal aid to those involved in disputes arising from separating cohabiting couples in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07.

Answer: It is not possible to answer the question as the Legal Services Commission (LSC) records information about the type of case rather than the type of client. Cohabiting couples who separate may be involved in a variety of case types recorded by the LSC. These include financial provision for a child, proceedings to establish the extent of ownership in property and advice on relationship breakdown, as well as cases involving parentage, parental responsibility, child residence and contact.

Secondary information