Five year cap on domestic violence evidence for public funding abolished

There is no longer any limit to how old evidence can be when applying for public funding in family cases where there is, or is a risk of, domestic violence.

The time limit was abolished as of 8th January 2018 as part of the Government's review of the Legal Aid and Sentencing of Prisoners Act 2012. That was the Act that killed off legal aid for most family cases.

Alongside the abolition of the time limit, new, some would say stricter, requirements for what evidence must be supplied with an application come into force. The requirements are set out in the ​Civil Legal Aid (Procedure) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2017 - see Schedules 1 & 2 at the foot of the page.

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