There are many reasons why legal advice may be helpful in situations of domestic abuse. Legal advice may be needed if the abuser has committed criminal offenses against the survivor, for example, using coercive control, physical violence and threats, sexual violence and abuse, and destruction of property.
Legal advice may also be useful if the person needs an injunction against the abuser to prevent further contact and abuse, or as part of the process of separation, for example, to divide property and make child access arrangements. If the survivor is thinking about leaving the relationship, legal advice can be particularly important. It is also useful for survivors (and the people supporting them) to be aware of any actions which might jeopardise (put at risk) their legal case.
The friends, family members, neighbours, and colleagues of survivors that we have spoken to have told us that they need more information about processes involving the police and criminal prosecutions. The organisations listed below may be able to help provide this information, and we also suggest that you look in the Police and the Criminal Prosecution Process section of The Survivor’s Handbook produced by Women’s Aid.
You can assist the survivor by helping her to contact the organisations below to find out what her rights are, what the legal processes are, and whether or not she can access financial support (Community Legal Service funding).
Understandably, many survivors are nervous about contacting legal professionals. If the person you know indicates that they are ready to take this step, you can support them by creating opportunities to get in touch safely, for example by letting them use your computer or telephone. You could also telephone the organisations yourself, with the survivor sitting beside you, and hand over the phone to her when she is ready to speak. To help her to access face-to-face support, you could offer to drive her to appointments, accompany her (if this is what she wants), or offer childcare whilst she attends.
| Organisation | Services | Contact details | Support offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rights of Women | National family law line National criminal law line | 020 7251 6577 020 7251 8887 https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/advice-lines/ | Rights of Women provides online information and free, confidential, legal telephone advice to women on a range of issues. Both the national family law line (available Tuesday 7pm – 9pm; Wednesday 7pm – 9pm; Thursday 7pm – 9pm; Friday 12pm - 2pm) and the national criminal law line (available Tuesday 2pm – 4pm; Wednesday 7pm – 9pm; Thursday 2pm – 4pm; Friday 10am – 12pm) can advise on domestic abuse and sexual violence. |
| National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) | Telephone referral service | 0800 970 2070 https://www.ncdv.org.uk/ | The NCDV provides a free, fast service to help survivors of domestic abuse obtain emergency orders/injunctions to prevent further abuse from abusers. The NCDV will refer a survivor to an experienced solicitor who will arrange Community Legal Service funding (if the person is eligible) or will accept payments in stages if the person has to pay their own fees. |
| Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors (FLOWS) | Telephone and email consultancy service | 0203 745 7707 www.flows.org.uk/ | FLOWS provides legal advice for women survivors of domestic abuse (and for people who work to support them). Support is available via telephone (available Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm) and email. |
| UK Government | Website resource | https://www.gov.uk/find-a-legal-adviser | The UK Government provides a website resource to help people find a legal advisor, solicitor, or barrister in their local area. |
