Legal services
- Advice agencies: organisations such as the Citizens' Advice Bureaux, which offer free, impartial law advice and can refer you to more specialist agencies such as Law Centres or solicitors.
- CAFCASS (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service): a mediation service that provides support for families going through a divorce or separation. It helps with mediating at court and compiling court reports about children's welfare.
- Community Legal Advice: a free and confidential law advice service paid for by legal aid that offers information on a wide range of issues.
- Family law: the area of law advice that deals with domestic and family-related issues, including law advice on marriage, divorce and children's rights.
- Law Centres: an independent network of law advice centres offering free, independent, specialist law advice and representation.
- Law Centres Federation: an umbrella organisation for Law Centres that can provide you with information about your nearest Law Centre.
- Law Society: the representative body for solicitors in England and Wales. It can help you find a solicitor who specialises in the law advice you need.
- Legal aid: a government scheme designed to help people on a low income and with limited savings get access to law advice and, if necessary, representation by a solicitor or barrister.
- No win, no fee: used in personal injury claims where your solicitor is only paid if your claim is successful. The fee is usually paid by in whole or part by whoever loses the case.
- Pro bono: effectively, "for free". In some cases, even if you don't qualify for legal aid, a lawyer may be prepared to offer law advice and act for you on a pro bono basis. This means he or she doesn't charge a fee for the law advice or work but does it as a service to the community, for instance to ensure the less well-off have access to good law advice and justice.
- Small claims: a system in the county court that handles law cases where the claim is for less than ?5,000 (or ?1,000 for personal injury law claims). You don't need a solicitor to represent you, but it's a good idea to seek law advice before going to court.
All guides on Yell.com are provided for general guidance only, do not constitute legal or professional advice and are not intended to be exhaustive.
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