- What is a Law Centre?
Law Centres use the law to help you
You do not have to put up with our unequal system. The law can unlock justice.
Many common problems that people face – with their landlord, or at work, or with benefits – involve the law. Not everyone knows the law or what to do then, and this can feel scary. It can be very scary if you cannot afford to pay a lawyer to help you. This is where Law Centres can help.
Law Centres employ lawyers and other professionals, who are experts in this kind of everyday problem. They give people legal advice and can represent them if they need it. They use the law to solve problems that hold people back, so they can get on with their lives.
Contact your local Law Centre
If something has gone wrong in your life and you need help or advice, you can contact your local Law Centre to find the support you need.
The Law Centre way
Law Centres are different from commercial law firms. We distinguish ourselves by being:
Free
Money should never be a barrier to justice. Law Centres help those in greatest need and do not charge money for their services.
Joined up
Problems can often add up: for example, a benefits issue makes you go into debt, and that can mean you fall behind on your rent. For this reason, every Law Centre team has people with a variety of skills and experience, so they can help with all parts of a problem.
Community
A Law Centre is a charity: this means it works for the community, not for profit. Law Centres are accountable to their communities, with local people as trustees on the management committees that run them.
Trust
This also helps every Law Centre be independent: they are not controlled by the local council, or by anyone else. Independence is important, because it helps people trust their Law Centre and know it only works for them.
Why this matters
Life in the UK is good – but not for everyone.
Over 14 million people live in poverty. Inequality and discrimination set many people back just based on who they are. Nearly 7 in 10 of us believe that they could not afford to get help from a lawyer if they needed it.
Law Centres want the UK to be a fair place to live in. They believe that everyone should be able to live in dignity, no matter what their background is, or how much money they have.
With this purpose, Law Centres focus their help at those who are more disadvantaged and are in greater need. They use the law to protect people’s rights, so that no-one is left behind.
A Law Centre is a key part of local safety net services. It puts rights into action to get people housing, benefits or support they need.
The bigger picture
Your local Law Centre is part of a movement of people who want social justice for their communities and the whole country.
There are over 40 others like it, and more Law Centres open every year in new locations.
This movement for justice started over fifty years ago, in 1970. Its aim has remained the same to this day: to make the law work for everyone, not just those who can afford a lawyer. The first Law Centre opened up not in a fancy part of town but on the high street in the poorest ward of its borough.
Local Law Centres work together to fight injustice. We, the Law Centres Network, support them to take action on common issues at a national level.
Cuts to legal aid and the cost-of-living crisis means Law Centres are now working harder than ever with even less resources.
Your donations make a big difference and every little helps.
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