In the wake of the Press Call in Elgin on 11 November 2013 which announced Vivien Hendry as the Moray resident who seeks to challenge the validity of Moray Council’s decision to close 7 out of 15 public libraries in the area, questions have been asked about the legal costs which might be involved (see the comments below the Northern Scot article here). Peter Brash of Grigor & Young is Ms Hendry’s solicitor. Getting counsel’s opinion on the prospects of success The first contact was when a group of people from “Save Our Libraries (Moray)” got in touch with Grigor & Young, seeking legal advice about the proposed closures. It was apparent that any challenge would have to be by way of Judicial Review - which is not an area of law that comes up often for most solicitors in private practice. Judicial Review proceedings can only be raised in the Court of Session, the highest civil court in Scotland. The Court of Session sits only in Edinburgh. The way forward was Continue Reading
Legal Aid Articles
Below you can find a list of our articles dealing with the operation of Legal Aid in Scotland in relation to personal injury claims.
Legal Aid for Personal Injury Claims in Scotland
These days, much of the focus is on “no win – no fee” arrangements but, in Scotland, civil legal aid is still available for personal injury claims. At Moray Claims / Grigor & Young about 50% of our personal injury caseload is covered by some form of legal aid. The First Stage of Your Claim – Advice & Assistance The initial stages of a claim can be covered by legal advice and assistance, a form of legal aid which allows work to be done in investigating the claim, including obtaining medical evidence, negotiating with the opponent and settling the claim if possible. The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s website has a calculator which allows you to check your likely eligibility for legal advice and assistance. Some people qualify fully, some not at all and, in the middle, some qualify but with the need to pay a financial contribution. Despite this, at Moray Claims / Grigor & Young, we never require payment of any advice and assistance contribution to be made. Your Continue Reading
Legal Expenses Insurance: one method of funding your personal injury claim
If you have had an accident and been injured, you may have insurance cover for the cost of instructing a solicitor that you didn't even know you had. Most of us hold some form of insurance - household (buildings or contents), medical, car, holiday - the list is endless. Many such policies have Legal Expenses Insurance (LEI) as an add-on, often buried in the small print. If you need to make a personal injury claim following an accident, LEI is one way of funding your claim. Others are "no win - no fee" and, in Scotland, Legal Aid. There can also be similar cover through bank accounts, credit cards and bank / organisation memberships. Some of us at Moray Claims / Grigor & Young are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and they have produced a helpful downloadable pamphlet which includes discussion about these issues. How we can help We can help you determine whether this type of funding - or any of the others - would be available to help you Continue Reading