Petitions/Make divorces where a child is abused automatically eligible for legal aid
StatusClosed
Opened30 Oct 2025
Closes30 Apr 2026
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Someone who can prove they have suffered domestic abuse is able to access legal aid for divorce, but if the abuse was suffered by a child within the family, even if there are convictions, they have no automatic access to legal aid for divorce. We believe this needs to change!

We believe in the event of a conviction of child sexual abuse in the family home, the other parent of the child may have to pick up the pieces and has no automatic access to legal aid for the divorce. After major trauma within the family and financial hardship that breakups can bring, one parent may be left legally tied to the predator that committed crimes against their child as they may be unable to afford the divorce. It can be truly traumatic.

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Constituency engagement ranking

Dan Aldridge
1Dan Aldridge MP
Weston-super-Mare
28
Tessa Munt
2Tessa Munt MP
Wells and Mendip Hills
22
Sadik Al-Hassan
3Sadik Al-Hassan MP
North Somerset
5
Sir Ashley Fox
4Sir Ashley Fox MP
Bridgwater
3
Richard Burgon
5Richard Burgon MP
Leeds East
3
Mark Sewards
6Mark Sewards MP
Leeds South West and Morley
3
Claire Young
7Claire Young MP
Thornbury and Yate
3
Carla Denyer
8Carla Denyer MP
Bristol Central
2
Suella Braverman
9Suella Braverman MP
Fareham and Waterlooville
2
Andrew Griffith
10Andrew Griffith MP
Arundel and South Downs
1
Make divorces where a child is abused automatically eligible for legal aid — Petitions