The Ministry of Justice has launched a free telephone helpline to give legal advice and practical support to families bereaved by murder and manslaughter.

The helpline is staffed by legal advisers who are specially trained to deal with bereaved families. They will not provide advice on the criminal investigation, but will assist with matters ranging from guardianship issues and settling an estate, to benefits advice.

It follows the government’s recent announcement of a new National Victim’s Service, which is initially being rolled out to families of murder and manslaughter victims, offering one-to-one tailored support to help them cope with the trauma of losing a loved one to crime.

Justice minister Claire Ward said: ‘Losing a loved one to murder or manslaughter is an extremely traumatic experience. We have listened to the concerns of bereaved families, who tell us that, during such a distressing time, accessing essential information can be a tough task.

‘By providing free legal advice when people need it most we hope we can help ease some of the burden experienced by families at what must be such a terrible time.’

Rose Dixon, chief executive of charity Support After Murder & Manslaughter, said: ‘Over the years many people contacted us and asked for legal advice but we are not qualified to give them that help. We can now tell them about the government’s new legal helpline, which will be a great support for people with issues around probate and guardianship of surviving children.’