Law Centres usually offer face-to-face legal advice to local residents, and during the coronavirus crisis many are running a telephone advice line. Find out if there is a law centre near you.
LawWorks supports a network of over 200 free legal advice clinics that provide initial advice to individuals on various areas of law, including social welfare issues, employment, housing, and consumer disputes. Use their search to see if there is a clinic near you offering advice on the area of law you need help with by phone, email digitally or in person. In order to use the time efficiently, please see What to bring to your appointment at a LawWorks clinic (PDF).
Advocate can help find you a barrister who can provide you with specialist legal advice but they ask that you seek initial legal advice from a clinic or Citizens' Advice before approaching the Unit. They can help with any legal issue as long as you are not eligible for legal aid and don't have enough money to pay for legal help.
To access the service, you need someone from an advice agency (such as a CAB or Law Centre), or a MP or practising lawyer to refer you. You need to send a completed application form (on paper, not email) at least three weeks before the hearing or deadline for the piece of work you want help with. You can find information about how to apply here: Advocate - do you need help?
For help with your application you can ring 020 7092 3960 and leave your name, number, email and brief query. This is a voicemail only service and calls are returned within a few days from a private number. If the casework team do not think that they have enough information in the application, they will ask you to supply more. Once the casework team is satisfied that they have enough information, the casework team will send your application to a senior barrister. The senior barrister’s job is to determine whether the Unit should find you a barrister. If they decide that the Unit should find you a barrister, the casework team will start looking for a barrister to help you. Because they rely on volunteers, they cannot guarantee to find someone to help you, but they will do their best.
Advocate finds barristers to assist you with a particular task in your case. So if your application is successful, you will receive help to do a specific task. After that, if you need further help you can apply again, providing at least three weeks' notice.
Independent advice agencies will often be able to give you advice if you are taking a case to tribunal. See if there is an independent advice agency in your area on Advice Local's site. Check that they can provide advice on your kind of problem before you make an appointment.
Citizens Advice can offer practical advice on lots of issues. Their contact us page allows you to search for your local Citizens Advice service, and provides details about their national helpline, and their chat and other services. Be aware that the national helpline is not free. Calls are charged at the same rate as calls to landlines.
Gingerbread provides support and advice on benefit and tax credit issues to single parents. Call: 0808 802 0925. The helpline is open Monday to Thursday at the following times: Monday 10am-12pm and 2pm-7pm, Tuesdays 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm, Wednesdays 10am-1pm and 4pm-7pm and Thursdays 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. The helpline is closed on all public holidays. Webchat is open Mondays 12pm-3pm, Tuesdays 12pm-4pm, Wednesdays 12pm-1pm and Thursdays 12pm-2pm.
