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This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Set up an investigation into the cost of legal representation in family cases and see if it would be better to transfer a proportion of such funding to counselling and therapeutic work for those involved. In short stop the 'fighting' in family cases and start 'helping' instead. More details
Submitted by James Barclay – Deadline to sign up by: 18 December 2007 – Signatures: 216
Petition update, 23 January 2008
You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "Set up an investigation into the cost of legal representation in family cases and see if it would be better to transfer a proportion of such funding to counselling and therapeutic work for those involved. In short stop the 'fighting' in family cases and start 'helping' instead."The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14340.asp
Prime Minister's Office
More details from petition creator
When people talk about court costs what they are really talking about is the cost of the legal reperesentatives. This sucks so much money in that it leaves nothing to provide assistance to the parties in family cases. It is possible for example to get public funding for assessments but there is nothing for treatment. What in effect is happening is that the court can clearly see what the problem is but there is no money to help with solutions.If only a small proportion of what goes into the funding of legal representation were diverted into therpeutic approaches then this is likely to have a beneficial effect on the whole process.There has been some progress in Mediation to try to prevent cases coming to court or being settled without the need of a full court case but there has not been the same focus on dealing with those families that do have significant problems that require some professional assistance to 'get better". The lack of funding reduces the number of those available to do such work so it is both hard to find a suitable therapist and to pay for the therapy. This results in children being left in potentially, emotionally damaging situations.
Current signatories
James Barclay, the Petition Creator, joined by:
- Hope
- Paul Knight
- colin moon
- damien barnett
- Calum Chace
- Shalin Tandon
- alain williams
- Huon Butterworth
- Jon Ruben
- Jeff Baynham
- Anthony Smith
- Fraser Neeson
- Laurence Herniman
- Claire Elliott, Fathers 4 Justice Cymru
- Dave Webster
- David D. Reeves
- stuart young
- Paul Clayton
- keith scarles
- Ashley Tandy
- chris jenkinson
- Michael Roberts
- Julie Godden
- R Durnford
- Sue Secker
- Chris Plaskitt
- David Secker
- G Pickford
- Alex Borchardt
- Andrei Peterson
- Jenny Cuttriss
- Rodney Perrigo
- Stuart Maskery
- graham durnford
- Neil Wilson
- jedda owusu
- Ieuan Davies MBA
- Alastair Patterson
- Robert Petersen
- Peter Morgan
- Richard
- Malcolm Weston
- Paul Watson
- Richard Bishopp
- Stephen Hendry. Mankind Initiative, Mens Aid and Fathers4Justce.
- Pat Easton
- hilary cooper
- Maureen Thomas
- Lynne Wade
- Rosie Cawthorne
- Steven Wade
- Margaret McCulloch-Keeble
- David McGregor
- Fraser Chatburn
- Neil MacDonald
- Derrick Coley
- doreen la bastide
- tony
- Michael Cox
- Steve Smith
- John Hems
- Robbie Bolton
- Neil Grice
- Andy Cox
- marcus baker
- Tina Lobo
- Sean Secretan
- James Williams
- Gavin Roberts
- Susan Callaghan
- Paris Van-Loo
- Lynton Jones
- Darren Casey
- paul nelder
- barry gaynor
- L Yanovic
- steve gouldstone
- Tim Challinor
- Manish Savjani
- Roberto Massessi
- John Robertson
- Peter Hill
- simon peasey
- sailesh tailor
- Barry O'Brien
- Alan Martin
- Peter Anderson
- Jamie Harwood
- darren butler
- Nigel Street
- Allan Grantham
- Pam Hensley
- Tremendous Paul
- Frederick Gale
- Angelo Agathangelou
- ian tyers
- Peter Pojuner
- Simon Clayton
- Michael Robinson
- Mr. Michael Butler
- Lionel Rice
- Anthony Delaney
- marc hatch
- Susan Nicolson
- paula allen
- Darren Hayward
- Denise Brister
- Bev Brister
- Elizabeth Hayes
- kathryn perchard
- Wayne Baker
- Christopher Green
- Simone Bradshaw
- Matthew Bradshaw
- Andrew Bull
- Glyn Wisdom
- Matthew Bel
- Brian Philcox
- Jason Kennedy
- Mark Wright
- Steven Grimwood
- Rob Machon
- Ali Seedhouse
- Peter Lucas
- Tracy-Ann Lucas
- jacqui canny
- Julie Beeton
- Anthony Smy
- Katherine Zeller
- Mark Thorpe
- Jonathan Robinson
- noel robinson
- adrian royal
- Derek Jones
- Mike McKinney
- Nick Barton
- andrew cox
- Craig McDowell
- Nigel McGuire
- chris jenkinson
- John F Brown
- Julian Cooper
- Raymond Stephen Painter
- Dinesh Jethwa
- cafcass
- Clive Bradnum
- Shaun Davies
- adam jarman
- Jonathan Webster
- Valerie Ann Davis
- Kev Bowker
- Graham Coxon
- David McCulloch
- Derek Benelisha
- colin hill
- john mackay
- david
- David Gilchrist
- Steve Woodhead
- Dominic Fitchett
- Victoria Carter
- David Hazlehurst
- robert tyers
- Michele Masters
- alan martin
- Paul O'Toole
- Stuart Hayes
- paul boardman
- Sam Palmer
- Mrs K
- Wendy Crisp
- paula allen
- Ian Stanton
- Stuart Fisher
- Sharon Fisher
- John Cross
- Vanessa Brookes
- Daniel Luddington
- Tim Loftus
- Matthäus Huber
- Layton Bevan (Fassit)
- Linda K Berkeley
- robert gore
- d.armstrong
- Brian Pengelly
- Jean Loftus
- Paul O'Callaghan
- Robert Brown
- Mark Turley
- Chris Jones
- Steven George
- mat guest
- E.Duncombe-Moore
- Emma Sneddon
- John Hopkins
- sara galpin
- John Woodward
- Debbie Bolsom
- Amanda Allan
- Simon Flint
- Michael Colin Ford
- nick metson
- Nigel Summana
- Wayne Martin
- Jamal Menghrani
- Adrian England
- leanna fairfax
- Adeine Garman
- Trefor Walters
- Maureen Brown
- alan narey
- Surjit Bhulanny
- Fiona Stevenson of brafittingawareness.co.uk
- Mark Scatchard
- Pam Gully
