Community Legal Advice is a government-funded advice service in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

set up by the

Legal Services Commission The Legal Services Commission (LSC) was an executive non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom), Ministry of Justice which was responsible for the operational administration of legal aid in England and Wales between ...

as part of the Community Legal Service. It aims to help people in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

deal with civil legal problems, and is part of the

legal aid Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people who are unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system. Legal aid is regarded as central in providing access to justice by ensuring equality before the law, the right ...

programme in those nations. It comprises a telephone helpline, advice centres and a series of advice leaflets. Its services also previously included an informational website whose functions were taken over by the

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

site in February 2011. See
www.legalservices.gov.uk/public/community_legal_advice_helpline.asp
Until November 2008 the service was known as Community Legal Service Direct, and before that as "Just Ask!"

Telephone helpline

The Community Legal Advice telephone helpline gives specific, independent advice to people living on benefits or low income. Community Legal Advice covers six legal areas: * Debt * Welfare benefits and tax credits * Housing * Employment * Education * Family

Website

The Community Legal Advice website provided self-help information and tools to help people deal with common legal problems themselves. It included advice on areas of law not covered by the telephone helpline such as consumer law, health and social care. By February 2011 (like the online services of the

Department for Constitutional Affairs The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) was a United Kingdom government department. Its creation was announced on 12 June 2003; it took over the functions of the Lord Chancellor's Department. On 28 March 2007 it was announced that the ...

in 2007), it was absorbed by the Department of Justice website. The original CLA site remains readable in "snapshots" in the

National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

Community Legal Advice Centres

The Legal Services Commission also operates walk-in Community Legal Advice Centres. Centres give free, generalized, face-to-face legal advice at an initial appointment and further specialized advice for people eligible for legal aid. Five Community Legal Advice Centres have been opened in * Derby * Gateshead * Hull * Leicester * Portsmouth Centres are jointly funded by the Legal Services Commission and local councils.Legal Services Commission website
Retrieved 2011-06-22.

References

External links

Community Legal Advice - Online Advice

Community Legal Advice website at gov.uk
Law of the United Kingdom Solicitors Crisis hotlines Advice organizations {{UK-gov-stub