A SENIOR Bolton solicitor says the general public is in danger of being priced out of justice if controversial proposals to slash legal aid are given the green light.

Civil legal aid will only be routinely available in cases where life or liberty is at stake under plans unveiled by the Justice Secretary this week.

Kenneth Clarke said funding will be axed for a wide range of disputes, including those over relationship break-ups, school admissions and expulsions, as well as clinical negligence, in a bid to save £350 million over the next four years.

But asylum cases, mental health cases and debt and housing matters where someone's home is at immediate risk will all still be funded.

Nick Ross, solicitor and higher court advocate for Russell and Russell in Bolton, said the plans could price out of the system low and middle-income people.

He said: “My concern is the access to justice point which is deeply disturbing.

“It means that, not just your average man on the street, but certainly people on low to middle incomes and people on benefits now will not have access to justice in terms of public funding.”

He added: “We are not worried, but certainly it could have serious ramifications.”

Bolton solicitor Joe Eagan said: “It’s going to have a fairly dramatic effect, certainly in terms of access to justice. For example, in matrimonial cases, a wealthy husband with a business and a wife who has got no assets of her own may not be able to get the same quality of solicitor as her husband. Once the aid is taken away, she might not be able to get representation at all.”

Mr Clarke, below, told MPs: “I propose to introduce a more targeted civil and family scheme which will discourage people from resorting to lawyers whenever they face a problem, and instead encourage them to consider more suitable methods of dispute resolution.

“Legal aid will still be routinely available in civil and family cases where people’s life or liberty is at stake, or where they are at risk of serious physical harm, or immediate loss of their home.”

Currently, anyone with assets worth less than £8,000 qualifies for legal aid, with those worth up to £3,000 paying nothing and others expected to contribute.

Under the new system, anyone with assets worth more than £1,000 will have to pay at least £100 towards their legal costs.

Civil legal aid will be axed for divorce, employment, clinical negligence and personal injury as well as immigration where the individual is not detained, welfare benefits and school exclusion appeals, Mr Clarke said.

But funding will be available for prisoners to make claims for gross negligence, claims against public authorities, community care, domestic violence and debt matters where a home is at risk, among others.

Funding for private family law cases will be axed in a move that could save £178 million per year.

Exceptions would be made for cases of domestic violence, forced marriage or child abduction.