Eulalie Spicer

Eulalie Spicer
Eulalie Spicer
Born	20 April 1906; Beckenham, England
Died	29 March 1997 (aged 90); Lambeth, London, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	lawyer
Known for	helping to establish legal aid in the UK

Eulalie Spicer (20 April 1906 – 29 March 1997) was a British lawyer and legal aid administrator. She was a leading divorce lawyer and liked to be called "Miss Spencer" or "EES". She wore her hair very short, wore a suit, used a cigarette holder, travelled around on a scooter and enjoyed shooting revolvers.

Life

Spicer was born in Beckenham in 1906.[1] Her parents were Elsie Mary (born Williams) and Charles Evan Spicer. Her father dealt in wholesale stationary.[2]

In 1942 she joined the Law Society's staff as a solicitor.[1] She was the supervising solicitor, suddenly women solicitors were in demand as many male solicitors were in the military.[2] She worked on divorce which was booking due to pressures of the war. There were several solicitors but she was the leading light, travelling across the country to brief barristers on hundreds of cases.[1] She became “one of the most prominent divorce lawyers of her day”.In 1945 she had 100 people assisting her and seven solicitors.[2] A Labour government came to power in 1945 and they decided to establish legal aid.[1]

The Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949 received Royal assent on 30 July. Suddenly there was one system for claiming legal aid in England and Wales. The assistance was means tested but freely available to people of “small or moderate means”.[3]

She became responsible for approving the 25,000 applications that arrived in her final year from the London area. When she retired from that position in 1966, and set up in private practice, her previous job was split into two so that two people could do it. She commanded a great deal of respect from those who dealt with her.[1] She worked at that and liked to be called "Miss Spencer" or "EES" she wore her hair very short, wore a suit, used a cigarette holder[4] and travelled around on a scooter. One of her hobbies was shooting a revolver.[2]

Spicer died in St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth. She was unmarried and had no children. She left over £1.2m.[1]

References

Glasser, Cyril (2004). "Spicer, Eulalie Evan (1906–1997), lawyer and legal aid administrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66190. Retrieved 18 October 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
"Eulalie Evan Spicer | First 100 Years". first100years.org.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
[file:///home/chronos/u-7258dc23e9c2be6cc4ca55648fe7282199d8c0be/MyFiles/Downloads/LLN-2019-0099.pdf "Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949: 70th Anniversary"] Check |url= value (help) (PDF). House of Lords Library. 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
Nicholson, Virginia (29 October 2008). Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men After the First World War. Oxford University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-19-970304-3.

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[eul-1] Glasser, Cyril (2004). "Spicer, Eulalie Evan (1906–1997), lawyer and legal aid administrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66190. Retrieved 18 October 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[first100-2] "Eulalie Evan Spicer | First 100 Years". first100years.org.uk. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

[3] [file:///home/chronos/u-7258dc23e9c2be6cc4ca55648fe7282199d8c0be/MyFiles/Downloads/LLN-2019-0099.pdf "Legal Aid and Advice Act 1949: 70th Anniversary"] Check |url= value (help) (PDF). House of Lords Library. 2019. Retrieved 18 October 2020.

[4] Nicholson, Virginia (29 October 2008). Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men After the First World War. Oxford University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-19-970304-3.