A unique Citizens Advice service based in London’s Royal Courts of Justice and Central London Family Court is becoming a law centre, the Gazette has learned.

The Law Centres Network voted in RCJ Advice as its latest member at the network’s annual conference last month.

RCJ Advice supports thousands of litigants in person with cases in the county court, High Court and Court of Appeal, and provides legal advice in housing, employment and family law.

In the 2022-23 financial year, the team have responded to 15,309 enquiries in person, over the phone or Zoom. The charity’s solicitors are supported by pro bono lawyers. The advice service's FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors) Consultancy responsed to 15,804 enquiries from 7,238 women. More than 10,000 non-molestation order and occupation order applications were checked and verified, with over 9,000 survivors accessing legal aid via one of the advice service’s network of 125 family firms.

Alison Lamb, chief executive of RCJ Advice, said: ‘We are a distinct Citizens Advice service providing free legal advice to litigants in person in civil and family courts, including FLOWS, our national domestic abuse service, that uses our award-winning online tool CourtNav to support survivors to access legal aid for protective injunctions from over 120 law firms covering England and Wales.

‘We have long thought also being a law centre would confirm our legal services to the public and partner agencies. We share law centre values and are proud to be their latest member. It is a vital strand of our strategy to expand our reach to marginalised communities who cannot access justice and work with law centres and local Citizens Advice to achieve access to justice.’

 

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