People who are narrowly missing out on legal aid, are finding themselves falling into debt.
That's according to the free legal advice body FLAC, who have published their annual report.
In total, the body received over 13,000 calls last year, with family matters accounting for 30% of enquiries.
Chief Executive of FLAC, Eilis Barry, says one person found themselves €20,000 in debt in 2021:
"It's a matter of concern that we have nowhere to refer callers for example, people who narrowly failed the means test for some legal aid. In one particular case, a caller was over the Legal Aid means test by €500 and had incurred legal costs in a family law matter of over €20,000. The caller was also facing into the sale of the family home, and was having to rely on family, friends and moneylenders.
