Areas of Law

You can use the Directory to search for legal advisers in the following areas of law:

Welfare benefits
Actions against the police
Clinical negligence
Community care
Consumer and general contract
Crime
Debt
Education
Employment
Family
Housing
Immigration and nationality
Mental health
Personal Injury
Public Law

Welfare benefits

Help with your entitlement to welfare benefits, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance or Disability Living Allowance. For example, you may need advice on housing benefit, war pensions or state pensions.

Actions against the police

Help with claims against the police. For example, you may need advice on an action against the police for assault, entering your home, false imprisonment, wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution or other abuses of police authority.

Clinical negligence

Help with claims for damages against all types of public and private medical practitioner. This includes treatment from doctors, nurses and dentists.

Community care

Help with services in the community provided by a social services department or health care authority. For example, you may need help in making a claim about the failure to provide services or facilities to the sick, elderly or those with disabilities.

Consumer and general contract

Help with all kinds of contracts made by consumers. For example, you may need advice about making a claim when a product does not do what the seller or maker said it would. You may need a company to fulfil a contract you signed or to put right work that is not up to standard.

For more information and advice, see our leaflet Problems with Goods and Services.

Crime

Legal help on everything to do with criminal proceedings. For example, it includes help when you are being investigated, prosecuted and sentenced. You may need advice on length of prison sentence, detention or parole, or how prisoners are treated.

Debt

Help in relation to money you owe. For example, you may need advice because you are bankrupt or insolvent. You may want to know about your legal position if you are behind with your mortgage, tax or investment payments.

Education

Help on problems to do with the education service, including failing to provide education. For example, you may want to know about making a legal case for education funding or about education for special needs.

Employment

Help on anything to do with work. For example, you may feel you have been sacked unfairly, or you may need advice on whether you have a case for racial or sexual discrimination. You may want to know whether a strike is legal or how you stand on employee confidentiality.

Family

Help with family issues, such as separation and divorce, child maintenance and family mediation. For example, you can get help on what to do about domestic violence, or if your child is being taken into care or being considered for adoption.

Housing

Help on legal problems to do with your home. For example, you can get advice if you fall into arrears with your rent or mortgage, or are being evicted. It includes the rights of leaseholders and homeowners, and problems with buying or selling your home.

Immigration and nationality

Help on anything to do with immigration into the UK. For example, you may have questions relating to your nationality or right to stay in this country. You may need to know about the papers you must show to enter the UK or reasons why you may be deported.

Mental health

Help in all matters where mental health is the main issue; for example where you want services to be provided for a member of your family or you are being made to stay (detained) in an institution. You can get help on anything to do with the Mental Health Act 1983.

Personal injury

Help with claims for damages for injury caused by another person or organisation. For example, you may need advice on claiming following a traffic accident, or on whether you can claim because of an accident at work.

Legal aid is rarely available for personal injury cases, but you may be able to get a ‘no-win, no-fee’ arrangement. See our leaflet ‘No-win, no-fee actions' (this link opens in a new window) for more information and advice.

Public law

Help on civil liberties and human rights. For example, you may want to know how the Human Rights Act 1998 will affect your situation. You can get advice on data protection, freedom of information and how to challenge the decisions of public bodies.