Can you get legal aid for a section 37 order?
NQ - Advice needed, how does Legal Aid work ...... my 26yr old daughter and her ex partner, are currently going through court and a section 37 has been ordered by the judge on both parents, he can afford a solicitor, she cannot, can you get legal aid as this is a legal minefield and very confusing for a young girl, it is not a level playing field and he is determined to wipe her and us out of my grandaughters life and it is NOT what my grandaughter wants,he has withheld her from my daughter and us, since xmas day, my daughter took it to court for an enforcement order, she was a very young mum (he was 19 and she was 15 when they first got together and she was 16yrs old when she had her daughter) the child is now 9 years old and as such we have supported her a lot over the years as she was a young single working mum, with no support or help from him for the first 4 yrs of her life, so more involved than most grandparents my youngest are only two and four years older so they were more like sisters than aunties, he even once disappeared with her for over 8 weeks when she was 5 yrs old until there was a court ordered return, this was immensely traumatic for all of us as we have little trust in him, and he has continually had periods where he has kept saying he is allowed to do this, says he was told to by police and social services which are proved lies, social services have never been involved except for when he disappeared with her for the 8 weeks (4 years ago) as it went through court at the time, he tells lies but obviously he has to be listened too and checked out, it puts a black cloud over all our lives including my children and my grandaughter, she even told my 14 yrd old you failed me, it feels like she is held hostage ..... why is legal aid no longer provided for such complicated cases where childrens security and stability is at risk my question is .... Could she be entitled to legal aid so she can get a solicitor to help in this legal minefield, 2) would we as grandparents have any rights he has told me if I ever want to see her again I will have to go through courts to get my rights ?? it is a avery complicated scenario I know
Christopher Klemke
7th April 2022