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Civil Legal Advice (CLA)

CLA is part of legal aid in England and Wales. Certain cases qualify for free and confidential advice from Civil Legal Advice.

CLA HELP: People who qualify can get free help for problems that involve:

A child getting taken into care or has special education needs (SEN).
Certain cases of child abduction.
Debt (e.g. if your home is at risk).
Discrimination
Domestic abuse or violence.
Housing for people who are homeless or at risk of getting evicted.
Separation from an abusive partner (if making arrangements for children or sorting out money and property).

Civil Legal Advice Eligibility

The first step is to check whether you meet legal aid eligibility criteria. If so, you will get Civil Legal Advice contact details if they may be able to help with your case.
You will then need to contact CLA to confirm that you qualify. You will need to explain your particular problem and provide proof of your income and finances.
They will put you in contact with a legal adviser if your situation looks like you qualify. From that point the CLA will decide what advice is available for you.
If CLA are unable to help they will give information on other places that you might get advice.

There are several ways CLA can provide specialist help and assistance. They will call you back if you find it difficult to pay for the phone call. They can also provide:

A British Sign Language interpreter for people who are deaf or suffer with hard of hearing.
A call back service. Text 'legalaid' and your name to 80010 (the cost is the same as a normal text message).
A free interpreting service for those who do not speak or understand English as their first language.

Providing Proof and Evidence

You will need to provide some proof to Civil Legal Advice. Have these documents prepared for the consultation with CLA:

Bank statements
Details of any savings and investments that you have
Details of any benefits that you receive
Mortgage statements and a current valuation for any property that you own
Recent payslips (if you are in work)

Contacting Civil Legal Advice

You can also contact CLA direct if there is a problem with the service you received from their staff.

Civil Legal Advice (CLA)
Telephone: 0345 345 4 345
Minicom: 0345 609 6677
Monday to Friday: 9am to 8pm
Saturday: 9am to 12:30pm
Call charges from landlines to mobile.

Civil Legal Advice in the United Kingdom
Last Updated 2020