Free Legal Advice

Citizens Advice Cambridge and District is your independent local advice charity. It is here to help you with your problems and concerns – such as debt, benefits, work, relationships and more – all totally free and in total confidence. The website has a host of information (click here for a link) or you can call 0808 2787 807.

Legal Aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation and representation in a court or tribunal.

You’ll usually need to show that:

• your case is eligible for legal aid
• the problem is serious
• you cannot afford to pay for legal costs

More information can be found on the government website – click here.

For those people that are not eligible for Legal Aid there is information about getting free legal advice from the Law Society – click here

Advice now is an independent, not-for-profit website, run by the charity Law for Life: the Foundation for Public Legal Education. It provides accurate, practical information on rights and the law in England and Wales. The website has information on a range of legal matters including employment, family, benefits, homelessness and housing. This is an online only service which can be viewed at https://www.advicenow.org.uk/

There is an extensive range of guides to walk you through a range of legal issues – to view the guides click here.

LawWorks is a charity working in England and Wales to connect volunteer lawyers with people in need of legal advice, who are not eligible for Legal Aid and cannot afford to pay, and with the not-for-profit organisations that support them. You can view the website at https://www.lawworks.org.uk/

LawWorks offer free advice clinics around the country. Some offer advice face-to-face, by phone, email and digitally. Please note that some services are only able to offer advice to clients according to geographic location, client demographic and/or area of law. To find your nearest clinic visit their website by clicking here.

Advocate is a national charity that finds free legal assistance from volunteer barristers. We match members of the public who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases for those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. Find out more and how to apply on their website.

ARU Law Clinic

ARU Law Clinic can offer you free legal advice about your family law matters, including:

• relationship break down
• separation or divorce
• child contact arrangements.

You can arrange a free 30-minute face-to-face appointment with their volunteer lawyers and student advisors. This service is available throughout the year on the ARU campus in Cambridge or virtually, via Zoom. You can call 01223 698498 to have a chat with their friendly staff who can book an appointment for you or you can email [email protected]. For More information click here.

LawStop offer advice on housing issues including homelessness, housing applications, disrepair, overcrowding, unsuitability and evictions. They work remotely to cover the whole county, but also offer a drop-in sessions in some areas, and are happy to meet people wherever is best for them – contact them to find out details and more information. Their referral email is [email protected]

The Family Law Group have specialist solicitors offering expert legal advice across the full range of Family Law matters such as Divorce & Separation, Child Arrangements & Social Services, Care Proceedings, Matrimonial Finance & Property, Mediation, Collaborative Law, Forced Marriage and Domestic Abuse Injunctions.

They can assist with Legal Aid where available, and offer regional advice surgeries for low cost legal advice. They have some offices in the county, check their website for addresses and more information, including phone numbers to make an appointment.

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA) offers free and independent legally-based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

By law, children with SEND are entitled to educational support that meets their individual needs. IPSEA helps parents with guides, template letter, Advice and Help Lines, Tribunal Support, and legal training. Find out more on their website.

Support Through Courts is a charity supporting people who face court proceedings alone so that they can represent themselves to the best of their abilities.  The service is free and based in court buildings. In addition to local offices, there is also offer a National Helpline Service on 03000 810 006 which is open Monday to Friday 10:30am to 3:30pm. You can view their website here https://www.supportthroughcourt.org/

Prisoner Support Services offer support for those in custody, those who have been released, on bail, remand, and those who have finished their license period. It supports with practical problem-solving due to an understanding of the complexities around the prison system. Call 01775 423077 or for more information click here.