Chester UoL email advice line set up
updated on 14 May 2013
The University of Law (UoL) in Chester and the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have launched a free email advice service, in response to the growing number of people seeking free guidance on family-related problems.
The new Family Email Advice Line (FEAL) will offer members of the local community in the Northwest help on all aspects of family law, including family breakdown, child custody and child contact. The growing number of enquiries is directly related to the legal aid cuts that will see thousands of people without access to legal advice and support.
Clients are first referred to FEAL by Cheshire West CAB and their cases are allocated to UoL student volunteers, who are studying family law as part of their LPC. Under the supervision of qualified solicitors, the students will then draft advice and send this to the clients via email.
Heather Eadsforth, UoL Chester pro bono supervisor, said: "The recent legal aid cuts are likely to cause an increase in the number of people coming to us for family law advice. However this has been a growing issue even before the cuts took hold as the economic downturn has meant that fewer people are able to engage the services of solicitors. With our new FEAL service we aim to help meet this need by providing free and rapid advice to everybody regardless of financial circumstances."
More info about FEAL is available on the Cheshire West CAB website.
