Closed petition Abolish the legal aid means test for victims of domestic abuse/coercive control

Closed on 26 April 2022

The government must abolish the legal aid means test for domestic abuse victims. Victims should not have to pay legal fees in family proceedings to protect themselves and their children especially if the police or other professionals such as doctors or social workers can validate the abuse.

If a victim has a job or owns a home, they should not be exempt from legal aid. Many victims get into debt by paying for legal fees in family court especially when perpetrators do not support their children financially. This can lead to poverty and homelessness and other major problems for the victims and their children. The government must do more to assist victims, rather than let them face a choice between keeping themselves and their children safe or going without bare necessities.