Ms Blacklaws’ appointment came about after the troubled organisation set up a family law practice when it was decreed that businesses, including banks and supermarkets, could be licensed to offer legal services.

I have always had my doubts about this and whilst Ms Blacklaws remains tight-lipped about her reasons for leaving the service she spearheaded, how likely is it that anyone will seriously look to ‘purchase’ a divorce while doing the weekly shop?

The legal shake-up that heralded the Co-op’s family law service – and ironically dubbed the Tesco law – adopted an IT conveyor belt approach with the size and sheer volume of cases keeping prices down.

A cheap divorce can seem tempting – particularly as many families throughout the UK have had to tighten their belts and cut costs.  However, as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for”.

The pile them high, sell them cheap approach may work for baked beans, but can it really be the answer for couples who find that their marriage has fallen apart? Complex financial issues, disagreements about where children will live and pension arrangements will all require a more tailored and measured solution.

Our own clients come to us because they want a bespoke service and to talk to an expert who will listen and offer solutions that work for their particular situation.  A solicitor who is a member of Resolution, the organisation for family lawyers committed to non-confrontational approaches to divorce, is very much alive to the needs of an individual client – not taking a ‘one size fits all approach’.

And new legislation coming into force on April 22 will add a new layer of complexity to divorce as it brings sweeping changes to the family law system.  As experienced family lawyers we are examining the finer details of the new bill and the implications for couples embarking on separation and divorce.

We have written several blogs about the Children and Families Act. Among the changes to the law is the creation of one single family court, Child Arrangement Orders to replace residency and contact orders and the introduction of compulsory Mediation Information Assessment Meetings (MIAMs).

With the demise of legal aid for most family law matters, we know how important it is for people to keep down the cost of divorce – and an ‘off the shelf’ option may seem tempting.  However, any good family lawyer will work with the client to manage costs and direct him or her to the most appropriate divorce option – whether mediation, collaboration, arbitration or simply good old-fashioned negotiation.

If you have any questions about the Children’s and Families Bill please call us on 0113 246 0055, leave us a comment below or drop us an e-mail.

You can follow us on Twitter @helpwithdivorce

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This week, Lord Neuberger, the UK’s most senior judge, warned that reforms introduced from April 1 – which will scrap legal aid for family matters including financial issues, residency and contact with children – could undermine the rule of law.

Lord Neuberger, the President of the Supreme Court, also forecast that this would lead to people taking the law into their own hands because they no longer have access to justice.

He told the BBC that the changes – designed to cut the legal aid bill by £350m a year by 2015 – could lead to higher court costs.

I agree wholeheartedly with Lord Neuberger’s concerns. The sad reality of these reforms is that hundreds of thousands of families will be left in a legal wilderness feeling stressed and traumatised because they won’t know which way to turn. – and who to turn to.

I fear that these cruel cuts which deprive the least wealthy and most vulnerable members of our society of free or subsidised advice or representation in key areas – will have disastrous consequences.

The repercussions include more children playing truant from school, a rise in instances of depression causing people to take time off work – and increasing the strain on the NHS budget. I also predict an increase in crime as children’s problems are left unresolved.

When I embarked upon my legal career, there was an ambition within government and the profession to enable everyone to have access to justice. The more vulnerable members of society were supported through legal aid; indeed it was a fundamental part of the legal structure.

Currently a substantial percentage of cases are resolved by the early and skilful intervention of legal expertise – usually a matrimonial lawyer – but cuts in legal aid will put this kind of expert advice out of the reach of many couples.

This change in legal aid provision is, in my view, false economy. I agree with Lord Neuberger that we will see a substantial and sustained increase in people representing themselves, putting a strain on the court system and the Judge’s time – both of which are under siege at the present.

Cases will be delayed as the layperson is likely to be poorly prepared as well as unused to the protocols of family courts.  Adjournments will cause frustration, which may well boil over and exacerbate an already tense and problematic family situation.

Badly prepared Petitions and individuals trying to ‘self help’ will painstakingly swing backwards and forwards to court with little progress being made. Judges will need to dig deeper into financial matters to avoid being unfair and cases will take longer where there are problems of disclosure. Both judges and the parties involved will become frustrated, increasingly intolerant and polarised in their views.

So why has the Government failed so abysmally to count the real financial, emotional and social cost of its legislation?

What are your views on the end of legal aid? Share them with us below, e-mail us here or send us a tweet @HelpWithDivorce.

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