Sources of free legal advice

Understanding aspects of the law is a complex matter, and dealing with agencies involved in the law and order can be daunting. Below are a number of voluntary and official organisations to help make this process easier.

ACAS

ACAS exists to help people work together effectively. This ranges from setting up the right structures and systems to finding a way of settling disputes when things go wrong.

Accident Compensations

Find a solicitor in your area who is an expert in personal injury.

Action Against Medical Accidents

Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is the independent charity which promotes better patient safety and Justice for people who have been affected by a medical accident.

Action on Rights for Children

ARCH is an internet-based chidren's rights organisation with a particular focus on civil rights.  They support equality, choice, respect and privacy for all children and young people.

Age Concern

Age Concern is the UK's largest organisation working with and for older people.

Amnesty

Ordinary people from around the world standing up for humanity and human rights.  their purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, fairness, freedom and truth are denied.

Association of Personal Injury Lawyers

Information, Guidance & sport for those injured as a result of someone else's negligence.

British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering

BAAF is the leading UK charity working for children separated from tier birth families.

British Association of Brain Injury Case Managers

BABICM is a professional association which was established in 1996 to promote the development of case management in the field of acquired brain injury.

British Institute of Human Rights

BIHR is a human rights organisation that is committed to challenging inequality and injustice in everyday life in the UK.  

Citizens Advice Bureau

The Adviceguide website is the online Citizens Advice Bureau service that provides independent advice on your rights:

• practical, up-to-date information on a wide range of topics, including benefits and housing, family (including change of name), employment rights and discrimination, debt, consumer and tax issues
• links to our directory of Citizens Advice Bureaux
• information in a wide range of languages
• a wide selection of fact sheets to print off
• details of other reliable online sources of information

 

Commission for Racial Equality

The CRE works towards the elimination of racial discrimination and promote equality of opportunity and encourages good relations between people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Community Legal Service Direct

Need information on a legal problem? Want to know who and where your local adviser is? Does it cost anything and can you get financial help? The aim of the Community Legal Service is to ensure that people can get information and advice about their legal rights and help with enforcing them. Bringing together legal aid solicitors, Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Law Centres, local authority services and other organisations in local networks.

Compactlaw - Free Legal Information

The leading law portal in the UK providing legal documents and services for English law.

Court Service

Within this site, you will find a wide range of information covering:

• details on all our courts and how to find them
• Hearing lists for the Supreme Court offices and some Crown Courts
• information on procedures and processes
• forms and guidance to help you when using the courts
• annual reports and business plans

 

Criminal Injuries

This website is designed to provide information about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, aimed to help innocent victims of violent crime or those injured trying to apprehend criminals or prevent a crime.

Criminal Justice System Online

If you have come into contact with the criminal justice system as a victim of crime, a witness, juror or you have been accused or convicted of a crime then this site can help.

Criminal Records Bureau

The CRB - an executive agency of the Home Office - is set up to help organisations make safer recruitment decisions. By providing wider access to criminal record information, the CRB helps employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors identify candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that involving contact with children or other vulnerable members of society.

Crown Prosecution Service

The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for prosecuting people in England and Wales charged by the police with a criminal offence.

Department for Constitutional Affairs

The DCA is responsible in government for upholding justice, rights and democracy.

• Justice - responsibilities include running the courts, and improving the justice system
• Rights - responsibilities include human rights and information rights law
• Democracy - responsibilities include law and policy on running elections and modernising the constitution

 

Direct Law

Simply tap in your requirements and go direct to a solicitor who can deliver the right solution now.

Directory of Ombudsmen

This site lists the ombudsmen and other complaint-handling bodies who may be able to help you if you have a complaint. Ombudsmen are an independent and impartial means of resolving certain disputes outside the courts. They cover various public and private bodies and look into matters after a complaint has been made to the relevant body.

Divorce Aid

Divorce Aid, an independent group of professionals able to give divorce advice, support and information.

Divorce UK

Advice on your rights.

Equal Opportunities Commission

Working to eliminate sex discrimination.

European Court of Human Rights

The portal of the European court of Human rights ("the Court") is intended to provide public access to information about the Court and its activities.

Family Rights Group

The Charity in England and Wales that advises parents and other family members whose children are involved with or require social care services.  They run a confidential telephone advice service for families.

Freelaw.co.uk

Free legal information on thousands of topics

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the government department responsible for promoting British interests overseas and supporting our citizens and businesses around the globe.

Hague Conference

The Hague Conference on private international law is an intergovernmental organisation, the purpose of which is "to work for the progressive unification of the rules of private international law".

Headway

Headway aim to improve lift for brain injury survivors, their family and carers.

Health & Safety Executive

The HSE ensures that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled.

Identity Theft Website

This website has been produced by the Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee, a collaboration between UK financial bodies, government and the police to combat the threat of identity theft.

Immigration Law Practitioners'' Association

The Immigration Law Praticitioner's Association was established in 1984 by a group of leading UK immigration practitioners to:

• promote and improve the advising and representation of immigrants
• provide information to members on domestic and European immigration, refugee and nationality law
• secure a non-racist, non-sexist, just and equitable system of immigration, refugee and nationality law practice.

 

Index on Censorship

Index on Censorship is Britain's leading organisation promoting freedom of expression.  With its global profile, its website provides up-to-the minute news and information on free expression from around the world.

Infolaw

Browse lawyers on the web.

Information Commissioner

The Information Commissioner is  an idependent official appointed by the Crown to oversee the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.  His function is to promote public access to official information and to protect the personal information of individuals.

Inquest

INQUEST is a charity that provides a free advice service to bereaved people on contentious deaths and their investigation with a particular focus on deaths in custody. 

Jury Service

This site takes you through what happens on jury service and explains the stages and procedures that you will experience when you attend court to serve.

Justice

Justice is an all-party law reform and human rights organisation working to improve the legal system and the quality of justice, in particular by:

• Promoting human rights;
• Improving criminal justice;
• Raising standards of EU justice and home affairs

 

Kent Criminal Justice Board

The Board's aim is to improve public confidence in the Kent Criminal Justice System, and explain how the criminal justice system works and how it can help local people.

Kent Police

Protecting and serving the People of Kent.

LawAssist

LawAssist can offer your firm the most comprehensive range of insurance and funding solutions all backed up by a fast, efficient and professional service.

Law Centres Federation

Provides a free and independent professional legal service to people who live or work in their catchment areas.

Law Group

A national network of independent solicitors.

Law Net

A large amount of free legal advice.

Law Society

The Law Society represents solicitors in England and Wales.  From negotiating with and lobbying the profession's regulators, government and others, to offering training and advice, they're there to help, protect and promote solicitors across England and Wales.

Legal Action Group

The purpose of the Legal Action Group, a national independent charity, is to promote equal access to justice for all members of society who are socially, economically or otherwise disadvantaged.  to this end, it seeks to improve law and practice, the administration of justice and legal services.

Legal Services Commission

An executive, non-departmental public body created under the Access to Justice Act 1999 to replace the Legal Aid Board.

Liberty

Liberty is also known as the National Council for Civil Liberties.  Founded in 1934, they are a cross party, non-party membership organisation at the heart of the movement for fundamental rights and freedoms in England and Wales.  They promote the values of individual human dignity, equal treatment and fairness as the foundations of a democratic society.

Medical Justice

Medical Justice is a network of volunteers who expose and challenge medical abuse in immigration detention.  Their volunteers include ex-detainees, doctors, lawyers and other experts.  They have no formal funding and no paid staff, they rely on private donations and unpaid work by members.

Money Claim

Online court service if either:

• someone owes you money and you wish to start or continue a claim or
• you have received a claim pack from the court and wish to respond to the claim made against you.

 

National Solicitors Network

Find the solicitor you need. You can choose a local, general practice solicitor or a specialist.

Office of Supervision of Solicitors

Deals with complaints about solicitors and regulates their work.

Official Solicitor's Office

The Official Solicitor acts for people who, because they lack mental capacity and cannot properly manage their own affairs, are unable to represent themselves and no other suitable person or agency is able and willing to act.  He usually become formally involved when appointed by the Court, and he may act as his own solicitor, or instruct a private form of solicitors to act for him.

PinkParents UK

They offer a range of support services and social activities for all LGBT familities.  Whatever stage you are at; whether you are considering parenting, have grandchildren, are fostering or adopting or are an uncle or aunt, PinkParents can offer support and a place to meet new friends.

Press Complaints Commission

The Press Complaints Commission is an independent body that deals with complaints from members of the public about the editorial content of newspapers and magazines.  Its service to the public free, quick and easy.  It aims to deal with most complaints in just 32 working days - and there is no cost to the people complaining.

Public Guardianship Office

The Office of the Public Guardian support and promotes decision making for those who lack capacity or would like to plan for their future, within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Public Law Project

PLP is an independent, national legal charity which aims to improve access to public law remedies for those who access is restricted by poverty, discrimination of other similar barriers.

Public Record Office

The national archive of the United Kingdom.  It brings together and preserves the records of central government and the courts of law, and makes them available to all who wish to consult them.

Resolution

Resolution's 5700 members are family lawyers committed to the constructive resolution of family disputes.  Their members follow a Code of Practice that promotes a non-confrontational approach to family problems.  Their members encourage solutions that consider the needs of the whole family - and in particular the best interests of children.

Reunite

The leading UK charity specialising in international parental child abduction.

Solicitors' International Human Rights Group

The Solicitors' International Human Rights Group (SIHRG) promotes awareness of international human rights within the legal profession and mobilises solicitors into effective action in support of those rights.

Solicitors Online.com

Find a solicitor or check their details in this directory of law firms in England and Wales.

Standards Board

The Standards Board for England is responsible for promoting high ethical standards and investigating allegations that elected councillors' behaviour may have fallen short of the required standards.

Street Works

Information on all aspects of works to roads carried out by public utilities such as electricity, gas, telecommunications and water companies, or their contractors.

Stonewall

Stonewall works to achieve equality and justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexual people.

Student Law

Information on training, etc 

UK Law Online

This site is designed to promote understanding of the law and the legal system of the United Kingdom by means of formats and language that is non-technical and accessible to members of the general public.

UK Legal

A geographical list of solicitors throughout the United Kingdom.

UK Parliament

Information about the House of Commons and House of Lords. Find out which constituency you are in, who your local MP is and how to contact them.

Young Legal Aid Lawyers

Young Legal Aid Lawyers is a group of lawyers who are committed to practising in those areas of law, both criminal and civil, that have traditionally been publicly funded.  The group includes those who are still studying and training as well as recently qualified barristers and solicitors.

Youth Justice Board

The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales is a non-departmental public body that aims to prevent offending by children and young people under the age of 18.