Affordable Justice bucks January Divorce Day cost of living trend
Despite the cost of living putting a strain on household budgets, January remained a month in which Affordable Justice saw a 25 per cent increase across its operations - from social media engagement and enquiries, right through to the number of new clients taken on board. This increase occurred despite recent research from Legal & General released in January to mark Divorce Day (Tuesday 2nd January) that found that 272,000 people had delayed their divorce due to the cost of living (¹).
The alternative business structure family law firm, which also has charitable status, believes that this increase is due to the fact that it charges less than a third of usual commercial fees.
"We have far too many women coming to us after living in a pressure cooker type environment over the Christmas and New Year period, where abuse and control can be magnified by the enforced proximity," commented Affordable Justice founder and director, Lisa Hilder. "There comes a tipping point when as a victim, you have to make that decision to escape from such a situation - for your own safety, and for your children's safety. Because we offer a service that is not just cheaper, but that places women and their children at the forefront of everything we do, then the decision to move forward with a divorce becomes more viable."
By tracking its online engagement through its website and social media activities, Affordable Justice has predicted a similar trend since it was first established back in 2016. This January is no different, with an average increase of 25 per cent across all analytics. However, if the Legal & General research is anything to go by, the company has this year bucked trends by maintaining a significant increase in divorce cases.
Affordable Justice was set up specifically to help women who were not eligible for legal aid when the legal aid restrictions were put in place back in 2013. The normal cost of commercial solicitors can be prohibitive for many people, keeping them trapped in unhappy and abusive marriages. For women worrying about the cost of consulting a lawyer about such issues, Affordable Justice offers a service charged at less than a third of typical high street rates.
.../ends