Site Map

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  Home Page for Community Legal Service Direct, providing free information, help and advice about common legal problems. 
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    An opportunity to comment and help us to improve the website.
    
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  Find free quality legal help and information from a qualified legal adviser or legal information leaflets.
  
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    These leaflets outline your legal rights in England and Wales covering debt, divorce and separation, welfare benefits and many more.
    
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      Your legal rights when you have debts, helping you to understand about County Court Judgements, debt collection, bankruptcy and other common problems associated with debt.
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      Your legal rights when you are at work, including the common areas of contract and conditions of employment, disciplinary procedures, dismissal, redundancy and employee rights.
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      Your legal position if you are considering separation or divorce, information about mediation, court orders and children’s welfare.
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      If you rent a flat, house or bed-sit this leaflet explains how to deal with common problems, different types of tenancies and your legal rights. If you are a landlord, it explains your rights and duties to your tenants.
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      This leaflet explains your legal rights and tells you how to deal with many of the common issues you may have when buying or selling a house or flat. These include offers, exchange of contracts, solicitors and surveyors, leasehold, repossession, freehold and common hold properties.
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      What to do if you are homeless because your landlord is unfairly evicting you or you and your children are not safe where you live.
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      Your rights to access information, free speech, right to a fair trial, right to family life and other areas covered by the Human Rights Act 1998.
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      This leaflet explains the main issues for asylum seekers and refugees including asylum appeals, applications and decisions, asylum for children and the support available.
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      Many people qualify for welfare benefits or tax credits but miss out because they don’t know what they can claim.  This leaflet explains how the benefits system works with information on benefit claims, payments and appeals.
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      This leaflet explains why should you make a will, what makes a will valid, inheritance tax and paying for a funeral. 
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      If you have a problem with the police or want to make a complaint against a police officer this leaflet explains how and tells you more about your rights and actions you can take.
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      This leaflet helps you if you want to take legal action but are worried about the expense.  It explains terms such as ‘conditional-fee agreement’, ‘success fee’, ‘disbursements’, and ‘personal injury’.
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      Information on consumer protection when you buy and sell goods and services, faulty goods, auctions, electronic shopping and pricing.
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      If you have had medical treatment, which went wrong or didn't work properly, you may be able to get compensation for your injuries. This leaflet explains what you can do if you've suffered from a medical accident.
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      Your rights if you think you have been discriminated against because of your age, your sex, your religious beliefs or because you are gay or lesbian.
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      Your rights if you think you are a victim of discrimination or harassment because of the colour of your skin or your ethnic group.
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      If you are injured because someone was negligent (they did something they shouldn't, or didn't do something they should), you may be able to get compensation. This leaflet explains your legal rights.
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      Your rights if you think you may have been discriminated against because of your disability. 
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      If you or someone you know or look after finds it difficult to manage day-to-day living, you may be able to get help in the form of community care. This leaflet explains how to find out what help you may be able to get, and whether you will have to pay for it.
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      This leaflet explains what you and your child can expect from a school and from your local education authority.  It includes information about what to do if your child is being bullied, school discipline and school admission policy.
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      Your rights to come to the United Kingdom (UK) and stay here including information about work permits, deportation, appeals and citizenship. 
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      If you (or someone you know) are detained under the ‘civil admission’ procedure also known as ‘sectioning’ this leaflet explains your rights.
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      Going to court to solve a problem can be expensive, stressful but there are other ways including mediation, conciliation, arbitration, ombudsmen and alternative dispute resolution.  This leaflet explains how they work and when you can use them.
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      If your relationship is breaking down and you are concerned about the future you can use mediation as an alternative to court.  This leaflet explains how you can use family mediation.
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      If you served in the armed forces this leaflet explains veterans' rights to financial and other types of support, and where to get advice and help with that support.
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      If you are suffering from any sort of abuse in your home from other members of your family this leaflet gives you practical help to protect you and your children.
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      If you are living with a partner, including a same-sex partner, and you are not married, this leaflet explains where the law treats couples differently and how the new Civil Partnership Act will change this.
    • 28 Dealing with someone else's affairs
      Information for friends, relatives and carers of people who can no longer cope on their own.  It deals with all areas of decision-making including mental capacity, dealing with financial affairs and healthcare.
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      Your legal position if social services are concerned about a child’s welfare and are considering care proceedings.
    • 30 Neighbourhood and Community Disputes
      There are a number of disputes you can have with neighbours ranging from too much noise to problems with parking.  This leaflet explains your rights and gives you practical advice.
    • 31 Changing your name
      Many people want to change their name at some time in their lives. This leaflet explains whether you can change your name, and how to go about it.
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    Information about 'civil legal aid' which provides financial support to people who cannot afford legal services.
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    Find out if you are financially eligible for CLS Funded help (previously known as 'Legal Aid').
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    Links that may be helpful from Childline, Her Majesty's Court Service, DirectGov and Department of Trade and Industry.
• Advice Search
  Get legal information from over 300 websites on a wide range of topics such as benefits, consumer affairs and employment.
  
  
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    How to use the Advice Search Tool to find relevant information on a range of topics.
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    The areas you can search using the Advice Search tool include Benefits, Consumer Affairs, Employment and Money and Tax.
• The Directory
  Provides details of Quality Marked solicitors, advice agencies, and information providers across England and Wales.
  
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    Tips on how to use the directory to find solicitors and legal advisers.
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    Definitions of national organisations and telephone services.
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    Defines the categories of law covered by the Directory.
  • Directory Charges Page 
    Information on legal advice costs and charges.
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    This page tells you how to complain about a quality marked organisation
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  What is the Community Legal Service (CLS) and what does it do?
  
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    Current news about Community Legal Service Direct.
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    Details of the 3 different Quality Marks; Information, General Help and Specialist Help.
  • Criteria for inclusion in the Directory
    Explains the criteria that must be met to be included in the Directory.
  • Criteria for inclusion in Advice Search
    Explains the criteria that websites must meet to be included in the Advice Search.
• A help service that provides guidance on using the website and explanations of some of the areas covered.
  
  • Awards
    Information about awards and accessibility standards gained by the CLS Direct website. 
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    Information about 'civil legal aid' which provides financial support to people who cannot afford legal services.
  • Information for Providers
    Details of how to link to the Community Legal Service Direct website, be included in Advice Search or amend your details in the Directory.
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    The Community Legal Service Terms and Conditions explained including disclaimer notice, copyright, privacy policy and the Data Protection Act