Petition · past parliament · Ministry of Justice

Make legal aid available to all victims of domestic abuse/coercive control

Closed 104 signatures

What the petition asks

Victims of domestic abuse/coercive control are being refused legal aid for owning the home they and the children live in, though no other assets or funds exist, preventing access to professional legal representation against their abuser. The home must not be used as grounds to refuse legal aid.
The previous system granted legal aid to women for divorce irrespective of whether or not they were victims of domestic abuse and the home didn't feature.

Selling your home or being refused access by a spouse without means to secure another is classed as intentional homelessness = no access to social housing etc.

This loop hole of injustice, discriminates & denies victims, access to the justice system.

Timeline

13 Apr 2021 Petition opened for signatures
13 Oct 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 104
Status Closed
Department Ministry of Justice
Opened 13 Apr 2021
Closed 13 Oct 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.