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Additional Resources

General legal advice

We are not able to give legal advice to members of the public - if you need such advice you can find information on who to contact locally through:

Information about the Freedom of Information Act is also available.

Legal services commission : This link opens in a new window The Legal Services Commission

The LSC looks after legal aid in England and Wales.

Website:  www.legalservices.gov.uk

Community Legal Services : This link opens in a new window Community Legal Advice

The Commission helps people who are eligible for legal aid to protect their rights.

Website: www.clsdirect.org.uk.

Telephone: 0845 345 4 345

They are also responsible for ensuring that people get the information, advice and legal help they need to deal with a wide range of everyday problems.

This Service can help you if you need information about a legal problem you are experiencing.

Information on legal aid

Citizens Advice Bureau : This link opens in a new window Citizens Advice Bureau

The Community Legal Service also help fund a network of Quality Marked solicitors, Citizens Advice Bureaux  and other advice providers to help people who need advice about relationship breakdown or problems with debt, housing, domestic violence and benefits.  Help is also available about asylum and immigration, education, employment, mental health and community care issues.

Website:  www.adviceguide.org.uk

The type of help varies from information leaflets and directing people to other services, to specialist advice and taking cases to court where necessary.

The CAB provide free, confidential and independent advice from over 3,200 locations around the country.   Advice is available face-to-face and by telephone. Most bureaux offer home visits and some also provide email advice.  

The website aims to provide up-to-date, independent advice, around the clock. It:

  • gives you contact information about your nearest CAB Office
  • puts practical, reliable, up-to-date information at your fingertips
  • covers a wide range of topics
  • is continuously reviewed by a team of advisers
  • points to reliable sources of advice when you need more than information
  • covers England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
  • provides information in English, Welsh, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu and Chinese.

Legal Ombudsman : This link opens in a new window Legal Services Ombudsman

The Legal Services Ombudsman oversees the handling of complaints about lawyers in England and Wales.

Website:  www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Telephone: 0300 555 0333
(Calls cost the same as to a normal 01 or 02 landline number, even from a mobile phone, and are recorded for training and monitoring purposes)

Open 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Law Society : This link opens in a new window Law Society

This is the regulatory and representative body for 116,000 solicitors in England and Wales. It has a number of important public responsibilities, including regulating solicitors and setting standards for solicitors to make sure they deliver a good and ethical service to consumers

Website: The Law Society

If you need legal advice or assistance, the Law Society can help you find a solicitor. It can also advise you how to make complaints about solicitors through its Consumer Complaints Service.

It deals with:

  • complaints from clients about poor service
  • applications for remuneration certificates (where we check if your solicitor's bill is fair)

This Service also receives reports about professional misconduct by solicitors.

The helpline number is 0845 608 6565.

Lines are open from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

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