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Seeking Advice
Looking for Advice and Information?
The law, our rights, and civil issues touch upon us in many different ways and at many stages in our lives. Sometimes we may even be unaware that a problem we are facing has legal implications. Whatever the problem we have it is always helpful to have information or advice from other sources to help us deal with it effectively, and preferably free advice!
Sometimes, finding the right organisation that can help is part way to finding a solution to our problem.
You are not alone! Almost half of the population within a 5 year period will experience one of the following types of problem: “faulty goods and services, money problems, injuries and work-related health problems; problems with neighbours; employment problems; and problems flowing from divorce and separation." *
So where do I start? You may be asking…
Why not start with your problem/issue/question?
Ask yourself.
What sort of problem do I have - is it a problem that anyone could have regardless of who they are or is it a problem that could be related to being (or made more difficult because I am) female, an older person, a young person etc.?
For example: Your colleague gets promotion at work and you do not.
You may be under the impression that you were not promoted, because you are a woman and you suspect your employer thinks you are likely to become a mother soon and want time off work, or that you suspect your employer thinks you are too old and somebody further from retirement age would be a better candidate.
In this example there are several approaches:
1) You can look at the problem in terms of the area of law – i.e. employment law
Organisations that specialise in Employment Law – i.e. solicitors, national bodies such as ACAS may be helpful.
2) You can approach the problem from the personal issue, i.e. the sex or age issue. As a result you could look to find help from the following types of organisations:
From the personal issue: Women’s groups such as Right of Women or if you suspect your age is the issue you can turn to organisations looking after the interests of the older person such as Age Concern, Help the Aged
3) Alternatively you could take a general approach and consult a generalist advice agency that deals with the general public as a whole and deals with many different areas of law such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.
Ideally you should be approaching the problem from all angles and gaining help and support from as many sources as possible.
Even for problems such as debt or consumer issues that you may have which would have occurred regardless of your age, sex, religion etc, you may also find it helpful to obtain advice from organisations that provide services for certain groups people that include you.
Wherever you start seeking advice; be aware that there will be different advantages and limitations from the different sorts of organisations and you should therefore be prepared that you may eventually be passed on to another organisation for more specialist advice or information.
Will I have to pay?
This is a very good question and it depends on the type of organisation and your personal financial circumstances. The directory will clearly indicate whether the service is free, or whether there may be a payment. As a rule of thumb, the solicitors that are listed may make charges unless you can obtain Community Legal Services Funding (Legal Aid) but volunteer organisations are less likely to charge for their services. Look at our pages on Costs for Advice for further information.
When I go to see an organisation how do I get the most out of the time I spend with the advisor?– What do I need to do to prepare for the meeting?
Often a problem is very upsetting and talking about it, although often a relief can also be a very emotional experience.
If you can, try and write down the things that are causing the problem. Try to be objective and remove the emotion. That means writing down the facts as opposed to your feelings. It might help to write it down several times as the first time you write might be just an way for you to vent your anger.
If you don’t like writing things down; try talking into a tape recorder. If you have a helpful friend, try talking it through with them first and if they will, ask them to help you to write it down.
Or, if your issue is very sensitive and you do not want to keep a permanent record of it that may be read or heard by someone else, try rehearsing what you are going to say in your head a few times.
Any “evidence” you have of the problem, such as letters, photos, notes of conversations either in person or on the telephone etc, bring with you on your visit.
How do I know if the organisation I am talking to understands my issues and is competent to advise me?
You need to ask the organization/individual the right questions when you meet to be more confident that they understand your issues.
Here are some questions that you might want to ask the advice provider
1. Have you handled cases such as mine in the past?
2. How were these cases resolved?
3. How does your organization compare with other organizations that could help me
4. At what stage are you likely to refer my case to another organisation and what sort of organization will that be?
5. How do you charge? Can you estimate total charges, including expenses? If talking to a solicitor you can ask - will you take the case on a conditional fee agreement (no win no fee). This means if the solicitor does not win the case, he or she does not get paid. However you may still have to pay your opponents costs, and this is particularly likely if you lose your case. Your solicitor may recommend that you take out an insurance policy to cover this risk.
Here are some common examples of types problems people have and the wide range of organisations they might turn to for advice and information:
A woman with children going through a separation/divorce:
Organisations that may help – A Quality Mark solicitor (you may have to pay for this service or pay a contribution if you do not qualify for free Legal Aid (now known as CLS funding). The Family Mediation Group – The costs for this are less than Solicitors if you find you have to pay. Citizen’s Advice Bureau – this will be free advice and you may find you are later passed on for more specialist help to another organisation. Women’s groups such as Women’s Aid may also be appropriate especially if domestic violence has been involved. Shelter, as a housing organisation may also be helpful, if you are in danger of losing your family home. At the same time, you may be feeling very depressed and organisations such as the Samaritans and MIND may be helpful as well as organisations such as One Parent Families – which offer a help line.
In this example above there are at least 8 organisations that may offer help to some degree or another. You can also research your rights through the links on this website.
What can you expect as an outcome?
You reach an agreement or solution to your problem without going to court.
Or
The matter ends with a court, tribunal or ombudsman decision.
Or
In some cases there will be no agreement or resolution.
The appropriateness of the outcome often depends on the type of problem, in most cases people do not go to court but an agreement is reached out of court. However statistics show that in Divorce and Separation cases, it is more likely that the disagreement will end in court.* (56% court resolution, vs. 21% resolution out of court)
Problems between neighbours and problems with landlords, on the other hand, are less likely to be resolved than other types of problems (71% and 65% non-resolution respectively). Therefore seeking advice as early as possible may avoid long drawn out disputes that cause nothing but worry and stress and never get resolved.
Be aware that legal action can be time consuming and expensive. It also can be emotionally draining. You should be well informed before you decide to begin legal action. Try to keep in mind what the possible outcomes may be and make an informed decision as to whether the potential result would justify the time and stress and possible cost involved in addressing your issue. Seek competent advice as early as you can.
How will this website help me?
The directory we include in this website goes some way towards showing you the level of support and advice you might receive from an advice provider. When you search for an advice provider the website will automatically list firstly those organisations with a recognised quality mark. It will also list other organisations providing advice and information but please remember that there is no formal guarantee of their expertise. However each organisation without a quality mark listed has been asked to self-assess levels of competence. We have taken the decision to include non-quality marked organisations in order to give you the widest possible range of choice with regards to location, opening hours and methods of access (for example by telephone or in person) and cost.
The fact sheets and links to other advice pages on the Internet give you an opportunity to research your problem yourself should you wish to. You may also find them of general interest to browse through.
We will also be providing regular articles on current issues of both local and national interest, for example forthcoming legislation and what the implications may be for you. Items and articles will be provided by various local organisations which will give you a chance to get familiar with certain organisations and who they help, so should a problem arise for you in future you will know who to go to as quickly as possible before your problem gets too serious.
* Research by National Centre for Social Research 1997 – Reported by Hazel Genn in her book “Paths to Justice” 1999 and Herefordshire Voice Council Spending Priorities and Access to Services, Advice and Information. March 2003.