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Press Release

Law Society disappointed by government refusal to remove fees for care proceedings

8 February 2012

The Law Society expressed its disappointment today at the Government's refusal to stop charging fees to local authority for care proceedings, despite the Family Justice Review's recommendation to do so.

Law Society Chief Executive Desmond Hudson said:

“It makes no sense charging local authorities a fee for care proceeding applications. There is no evidence that proceedings are initiated prematurely or unnecessarily, or that fees act as an incentive to use services more efficiently. If the cost of bringing care proceedings means that local authorities defer proceedings for budgetary reasons, this can only harm vulnerable children.

“These charges either affect local authority behaviour, in which case they risk damage to children, or they do not, in which case they are pointless. Both the Plowden report and the Norgrove Review came to that conclusion. Either way we ask the Government to urgently re-consider.”



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