Making justice fairer

campaigning for change

How we are working to make family justice fairer

We are constantly working to make our society a fairer place by campaigning for changes to make the family justice system  more accessible to everyone who needs it. Our vision is to continue to provide an excellent legal service to our clients but also to use our coalface experience to help shape the future of family law working together with our partners to improve our family justice system. 

  • Working at the coalface of family law we gain practical insight into the gaps and barriers to justice. We see the improvements that are necessary to make the system fairer.
  • By working together with other stakeholders we are able to understand the difficulties they have in helping and supporting families through their legal challenges.
  • We are actively involved in the most influential representative bodies with whom we actively campaign for change.
  • Alongside this active campaigning for a better justice system for clients we support equality and social mobility in the legal profession.
  • We undertake specific pro bono projects.
  • We undertake free legal support for our partner organisations and free training and advice for frontline agencies and charities.
  • We engage in active fundraising.

 

I really appreciate everything you did for me. I do think you are exceptional people and it makes a huge difference to have had your support. Money can’t buy integrity or authenticity.

Working with others

We actively partner with others in the family justice system to help provide joined up support.  We recognise family problems aren’t just legal and that, by working together, we can help find quicker, safer, cost effective solutions for you. Working with our partners we can see the gaps and hurdles that our client’s are facing and actively work to close them.

Our partners include:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
‘Standing Together and the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) have worked with Beck Fitzgerald for a number of years now and have found them knowledgeable, caring and ‘can do’ in their approach. The survivors we have referred on to them have fed back they found the team at Beck Fitzgerald professional, expert in all aspects of domestic abuse, supportive and helpful. Gudrun Burnet

CEO , Standing Together

The team at Beck Fitzgerald understands the needs of victim-survivors of domestic abuse and goes above and beyond in meeting them. Their campaigning is vitally important in making justice accessible to all and Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is proud to contribute to and support this work. Nicola Sharp-Jeffs

Founder and CEO, Surviving Economic Abuse

Campaigning

We actively campaign for change.  Working tirelessly with others across the sector to improve protection for victims of abuse and to protect the rights of those most marginalised and vulnerable to ensure that the rights our laws give us are available to everyone. The family justice system is creaking at the seams which undermines the rule of law and makes access to justice unequal.

We believe that access to justice is the cornerstone of a civilised society and we are committed to campaigning, influencing and collaborating with all interested stakeholders to bring about positive change.

Whether or not you can afford to exercise your legal rights it is important that we all join together to make our society a fairer one for everybody.  Family breakdown is distressing and the laws that govern it should be fair and accessible to all.

Many of our team play a significant role in active campaigning and working together with representative bodies to bring about change.

 

Working with the representative bodies and others we have actively highlighted concerns within the justice system about the treatment of victims in the family courts and the postcode lottery of justice.
Contact us to find out more about our campaigning work
I recently saw something about Beck Fitzgerald on BBC News and was incredibly proud to hear of what you do for women who are in the same situation that I was in. You helped me out in such a significant way and I wish that the government would make amendments to the legal aid process and system of eligibility which would directly address the disparity of power that exists in the family court system, leaving abuse victims exposed further to repeated abuse again and again with little or no protection unless they happen to get lucky, which I did by being referred to Beck Fitzgerald.

I really want to wish you all the very best for the future and thank you for everything you did for me in the past too.

Thank you so very much and keep on fighting the good fight.

A client

Improving access to justice for survivors of domestic violence

Today, ‘Claire’ a single parent and domestic abuse survivor, has overturned the rules that prevented her from accessing legal aid. It is already widely acknowledged that today’s ruling will improve access to justice for more survivors of domestic violence who are in...
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The current landscape of domestic abuse podcast

The start of lockdown saw a significant spike in domestic abuse across the country. Jenny recently featured in a podcast for the Law Society discussing the landscape of domestic abuse in light of the increase in cases including: the rights of victims legal...
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Jenny Beck honoured for legal aid efforts during lockdown

Two Law Society committee members have been honoured for their efforts during the Covid-19 lockdown ahead of the first virtual legal aid ‘oscars’ ceremony. Winners of this year’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards will be revealed on Tuesday. The annual,...
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Challenging the means rules preventing women accessing legal aid

Season 3 of the Family Law Week podcast is here - listen to the latest podcast with myself and Rachel Cooper from Coram Chambers. We discuss the current high court case through which the Public Law Project and Beck Fitzgerald are seeking to challenge to the financial...
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Legal Challenge to the Legal aid DA means test

Yesterday the Public Law Project and Beck Fitzgerald Solicitors went to the high court to challenge the financial eligibility, or means rules that prevent so many women getting access to free legal support to protect themselves and their children from...
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Domestic violence victim denied legal aid seeks judicial review

A victim of domestic violence, who is surviving on universal credit but has been denied legal aid in a battle to hold on to her home, is challenging strict regulations that could force her to cross-examine her former partner in court. The woman, known as...
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I am glad to hear that most of the suggestions put forward for the family court to improve will actually be implemented as I know that Jenny in particular is involved in a lot of campaigning to bring about these much needed changes.

I really hope these changes allow more victims (predominantly women) to feel they can have more faith in the family justice system. My support worker has told me that many women have felt incredibly let down by the courts which is a sad indictment on the current system.

So far, my personal experience of dealing with the courts has not been without flaws but overall, it has been okay. Again, that is mainly down to the fact that I chose your firm to represent me which is absolutely the best thing I could have done considering the stresses I was under at the time. I really doubt I would have had the same experience without such expert legal representation so thank you once again. A client

Take action

If you are a lawyer join LAPG

LAPG is a membership body representing legal aid practitioners in England and Wales and the clients they serve.

If you are a young lawyer join YLAL

YLAL campaigns for a sustainable legal aid system which provides good quality legal help to those who could not otherwise afford to pay for it.

If you’re a member of the public.

Keep an eye on our news pages, follow us on Linkedin or Twitter to see the latest developments in the justice space. You can get involved by contacting your MP on any issues. You can find out who your MP is by clicking this link https://members.parliament.uk/constituencies/

Contact us to find out more about our campaigning work

Our charity work

We undertake free legal support for our partner organisations, free training and advice for frontline agencies. We engage in active fund raising for our partners such as Refuge. We also provide pro bono support for individuals in some circumstances.

If you would like more information about our work in this area call us on 020 7101 3090 or email us on contact@beckfitzgerald.co.uk