Senior associate Helen Greenfield is quoted in today’s Solicitors Journal on vulnerable witnesses reform. In an article entitled “Munby P could face MPs over vulnerable witnesses reform” Helen commented on the difficulties faced by vulnerable witnesses in family proceedings:

“Helen Greenfield, an associate at Family Law in Partnership, said she ‘completely agreed’ with Sir James’s call for a ban (on cross examination of vulnerable people in family proceedings) and blamed legal aid cuts for creating the problem.

‘The problem is essentially money,’ said Greenfield. ‘Despite the limited concessions the government made on their introduction, the legal aid cuts have left working with the country’s most vulnerable in the family courts impossibly difficult leading to more litigants in person representing themselves, not being able to put their cases forward properly and just adding to their stress when they are already at breaking point.

‘Even if primary legislation were introduced the funding needs to be available to provide judges with the options necessary to allow them to protect such people. More work, time and money needs to be spent on such issues.’”

This quote first appeared in Solicitors Journal, 5th January 2017, and is reproduced by kind permission.