APPENDIX 81
Memorandum submitted by Rights of Women
Rights of Women is a well established
not-for-profit women's organisation committed to informing, educating
and empowering women on the law and their legal rights. Established
in 1975, we have a long history of addressing discrimination and
violence against women including Black and Minority Ethnic Refugee
and asylum seeking (BMER) women and women who are disadvantaged
or living in poverty. We aim to make the law accessible to all
women and help them achieve justice and equality. We run two national
confidential legal advice lines for women provided by women solicitors
and barristers; one specialising in family law issues, including
domestic violence and the other providing legal advice and support
for survivors of sexual violence. We also produce publications
on key areas of law affecting women including our Domestic Violence
DIY Injunction Handbook (now in its second edition) and our most
recent publication Pathways to Justice: BMER women and the law.
We also run an outreach training programme, conferences and other
events to raise awareness of women's legal rights and remedies
and undertake policy, campaigning and research work.
In our experience, as specialist family
law solicitors and barristers and from advising up to 2,000 women
per year on our legal advice lines, the various charges and fees
involved in applying for (and, if breached, enforcing) a non-molestation
and/or occupation order, can be calculated as follows:
(1) The bare cost of representing
yourself in these proceedings would involve:
|
| Swearing your sworn statement at a solicitors firm
| £5 (plus £2 per exhibit) |
| Court fee | £60[323]
|
| Service of without notice application/order
| £75-£150 depending on process servers' fees
|
| Service of order following return date |
£75-£150 (as above) |
| Applying to enforce the order | £40
|
|
In addition to this costs, may also be incurred obtaining
a GP report (approx £50) or other evidence from the Police
or hospital.
The cost of representing yourself when applying for
a non-molestation/occupation order could therefore range from
about £300-£450.
(2) The cost of instructing a solicitor to apply for
a non-molestation/occupation order could range from £1,500
to £3,000 depending on the complexity of the case and the
number of hearings. Solicitors fees vary but a typical high street
solicitor may charge an hourly rate starting at £150 per
hour. The range of additional costs outlined above, in (1), would
also apply.
323
Figures taken from Courts Service website: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/ Back
| 
