Areas of work

On this page:

Looking at giving family legal advice via our telephone service
Making Legal Rights a Reality for Children and Families
Helping people who go to an advice agency first
Evaluating the Family Advice and Information Service (FAInS)
For more information

Looking at giving family legal advice via our telephone service

We are running a pilot to incorporate family legal advice into our Community Legal Advice telephone service to:

establish what kind of family problems can be addressed over the phone
monitor demand for advice.

Latest News

Revised Timeline Projection for: Community Legal Advice Specialist Family Telephone Advice Contracts

The projected timeline we set out at our Open Day Presentation ‘CLA Family Pre-Invitation Tender Meeting’ on 09 July 2008, has changed. In view of this (whilst still reserving our right to depart from the tender dates and stages detailed) the LSC would like to provide an update that reflects more accurately our projected timeline for the Community Legal Advice Specialist Family Telephone Tender.

Notice and Tender Documents - now projected to be made available during January 2009 (as opposed to August 2008)

Applications to be received – Approx 40 days later

Steps may then include:

Initial qualification stage assessed (Pass/Fail)
Applications assessed against Essential Criteria (Pass/Fail)
Applications assessed against Selection Criteria
Sealed envelopes containing Price Bids opened
Interviews/site visits (where considered necessary)
Final evaluation of listed applicants
Presentation to Tender Panel of proposed successful applicants and Award of Contract(s)
Signing of Contract(s)

Further updates will be given in due course.

Open day on 9 June 2008

On 9 June 2008 we held an open day to communicate with providers about the tender. The presentation slides from the event are now available from the documents panel on the right. Also available is a transcription of the questions asked during the event and their answers.

Making Legal Rights a Reality for Children and Families

We published our five-year strategy for family legal aid in March 2007. This will help us achieve our vision for family legal aid:

to ensure clients have access to quality services which meet their needs
to work with providers who provide quality, value for money and client focused services
to deliver a sustainable legal aid scheme within the budget available.

Download the strategy on our Our Strategy for the CLS page.

Evaluating the Family Advice and Information Service (FAInS)

The Family Advice and Information Service (FAInS) pilot assessed and developed support available to couples and families in dispute. It covered private law disputes such as separation, divorce, residence and contact.

The evaluation is under Documents along with a summary of the key findings. It provides:

an insight into the wide range of issues impacting on Family solicitors
valuable opportunity to further our understanding of the client's experience of the Family Justice System/legal process.

Helping people who go to an advice agency first

We are piloting the Family Advice and Information Service (FAInS) within the advice sector to help people who first seek help through an advice agency rather than a solicitor.

There are two models:

Family Advice Centres that provide specialist family advice and a range of other legal advice and support services in one building
Gateways that provide access to these services through strong partnership links.

Both models target specific ‘hard to reach’ client groups:

children and young people
women and children experiencing domestic violence
certain BME communities.

For more information

For more information on any of the work listed on this page, please contact the Family team.

Worried about benefits or tax credits?
Having problems with your child’s school?
Are your debts out of control?
Are you being treated unfairly at work?
Are you having problems with your landlord?

Community Legal Advice can help with these kinds of problems if you are eligible for legal aid.

Call the helpline now on 0845 345 4345.

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Last updated: 11 November 2008