Get Advice
How to get advice if you are a member of the public
We offer free legal advice through our partner organisations and UEA students volunteer at all these organisations. Below, you will find information about what each of them does.
All appointments for help must be made with the partner institution directly. Click on the service name for a link to further information and contact details.
SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH NORFOLK COMMUNITY LAW SERVICE
Welfare Benefits Advice and Advocacy
Help if you think you are not getting the benefits to which you should be entitled, including representation at appeals tribunals.
Legal advice provided through Suffolk Law Centre under their Tackling Discrimination in the East project, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities Programme.
Advice on all aspects of family law including divorce, the breakdown of unmarried relationships, child maintenance, and disputes about children and property. Free legal advice, some casework done for children matters, and the Family Court Support Service (a McKenzie Friend service of non-lawyers who can come to court to support you). Our Director is one of the solicitors offering free legal advice.
A full appointment with a solicitor to talk you through your options, such as to seek a non-molestation order and/or an occupation order.
Help with debt problems including advice on your options and (if you want) help contacting your creditors.
For help with permanent residence, visas, and indefinite leave to remain, family member applications, citizenship and passport applications, including EU Settlement Scheme and Ukrainian nationals.
For those who are underpaid, are having issues with maternity or paternity leave or have been discriminated against in the workplace. See also our Discrimination Law Clinic.
For all civil law matters (everything not above and not criminal) such as consumer rights and contract disputes, NCLS has some limited capacity to provide advice. (Note that the Law Clinic has a separate civil mediation service suitable for most civil disputes.)
SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH NORFOLK CITIZENS ADVICE SERVICE
Citizens Advice offer advice and information to help people with problems with debt, money, benefits, housing, employment issues, immigration, health, family, education, and consumer issues. They offer free legal information and advice throughout the UK – including at the UEA Law Clinic where we host a digital hub.
There are lots of ways to receive advice.
Shelter is a charity that provides help for housing problems and homelessness, including repossession, eviction, repairs, tenancy deposits, and council help. They provide online, phone, and face-to-face advice and representation and their website is excellent.
SERVICES OFFERED BY FENNERS CHAMBERS
We have reached an arrangement with a Cambridge-based barristers’ chambers, Fenners Chambers, to use the Law Clinic space for Early Neutral Evaluations and private Financial Dispute Resolution Appointments. These relate to financial settlements on divorce. They are forms of dispute resoution that involve a barrister acting like a judge, indicating to the parties what a likely outcome would be if the matter proceeded to a final court hearing, which then informs settlement negotiations. These private hearings are arranged through Fenners Chambers and are by appointment only.
To enquire, please contact Fenners Chambers at 01223 368761 or clerks@fennerschambers.com
SERVICES OFFERED BY NORFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Norfolk Community Foundation is an organisation that helps small charities and community groups to build stronger communities by providing funding and advice. UEA Law students help by providing toolkits for organisations to use.
SERVICES OFFERED BY EQUAL LIVES
Equal Lives is a charity that supports people who are disabled. They believe that people are disabled by barriers in society that limit the full participation in society by people who have physical or mental differences or impairments.
Support making NHS Complaints
Advocacy for those needing help accessing services
Form-fill service
Payroll services for those managing direct payments
Deprivation of Liberty personal representation
Help with PIP applications and renewals
SERVICES OFFERED BY THE JUSTICE PROJECT
UEA’s Justice Project works with people who have been convicted of serious crimes but maintain their innocence, to see if there are grounds to overturn their convictions. Students can often be found in the Law Clinic sifting through evidence boxes to reassess the evidence against the prisoners and identify new lines of enquiry. The project is run by Maureen Bacon KC, a retired Crown Court judge who has prosecuted and defended serious cases. If you are a prisoner and you would like to be considered by the project, please contact the organisation Inside Justice as they provide our cases.
SERVICES OFFERED BY STREET LAW
Street Law is a UEA project providing outreach to schools and community groups wanting legal training or activities. Please see our Community Outreach page for more information.