Teesside Law Clinic

We are committed to ensuring our students leave Teesside University with the best possible skills for employment in the legal profession. We work in partnership with lawyers, charities and voluntary organisations to provide our students with real opportunities and practical skills in law. While Teesside Law Clinic prioritises the community need for legal services and the interest of their clients, we also recognise that our students benefit from involvement with cases from real people with real legal concerns.

We concentrate on the following areas of law:

• employment
• money claims
• lasting powers of attorney and wills
• civil disputes
• housing
• criminal
• welfare benefits
• consumer
• criminal injuries compensation appeals
• Family Law (limited areas)

We are happy to take enquiries in other areas, however we may not be able to take these matters but are happy to make referrals to other organisations and law firms.

How it works

• Enquiry is made to Teesside Law Clinic
• If accepted, case is allocated to a student firm
• Client given an appointment
• Preliminary information gathering interview, no advice given at this stage
• Students research the issue
• Client invited back in to receive verbal and written advice within 21 working days of initial interview (subject to holidays and complexity of the issue, by negotiation).

If there are next steps in the case, we discuss these with the client and see how they wish to proceed.

Unfortunately we cannot help everyone as we have a number of factors to consider including conflicts of interest, complexity, necessary expertise and urgency of a case.

To discuss an appointment please call 01642 738738 or complete the enquiry form below.

Please note: We can only accept enquiries between October and April.

Streetlaw raises awareness of the law for people in their everyday lives on the street and in their communities. It is an outreach programme carried out by Teesside University Law students who will present to schools, community groups and colleges or any other organisation on law, human rights, democracy, citizenship, consumer rights, and civil rights. The presentations can be tailored to the needs of individual group and the teaching is done using interactive teaching methodologies. This is a free service.

Benefits to the community, schools and colleges

The target audience will gain a better understanding of their rights and responsibilities in relation to the identified issue, to lessen their likeliness of developing legal problems and increase their likeliness to seek help where required.

Example presentation areas include:

Law

• assault
• murder
• joint enterprise
• public order act
• indecent images
• road traffic law
• PACE 1984
• anti-social behaviour orders
• defence of property

Your rights

• wills and lasting powers of attorney
• social media
• housing
• tenants
• consumer
• employment
• human
• family
• property

In addition to the above examples we could carry out a presentation on an area of your choice, providing it falls within the remit of socio-legal aspects of life and the law.

Family Law Clinic

Do you need free help or advice with family issues such as?

• divorce/separation
• co habitation
• children
• adoption
• child arrangment orders
• parental responsibility
• care proceedings
• domestic violence
• forced marriage

Law students at Teesside University are working with local solicitors to provide a free family law drop-in clinic.

Sessions will be held at Teesside Law Clinic on Wednesday afternoons from 2.00pm-4.00pm running from October to April.

Call in or contact us for an appointment or directions.

Tel 01642738738

E:lawclinic@tees.ac.uk

Teesside Law Clinic is working in partnership with

Cygnet Law, Teesside Law Limited, Punch Robson Solicitors, Freers Askew Bunting Solicitors

Watson Woodhouse Solicitors, Appleby Hope & Matthews Solicitors, Paul J Watson Solicitors, Jacksons Solicitors, Brown Beer Nixon Mallon Solicitors, Macks Solicitors

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Lasting Power of Attorney iniative: Teesside Law Clinic offers a Free LPA service to the community

Why do I need an LPA?

A lasting power of attorney (LPA) gives another individual the legal authority to look after specific aspects of your financial affairs or health and welfare should you lose the capacity to do so. It's not just for the elderly; younger people may become incapacitated through accident or illness.

If you do not have an LPA in place and later become mentally incapacitated, relatives may face long delays and expense in applying to the court of protection to get access and take control of your assets and finances.

There are two types of LPA: one that can cover decisions about money matters, known as a property and financial affairs LPA, and one that can cover decisions about healthcare, known as a personal welfare LPA. A key difference is that a property and financial affairs LPA can be used while someone still has capacity, whereas personal welfare LPA can be used only once they have lost it.

A person administering a property and financial affairs LPA can make decisions on things such as buying and selling your property, dealing with your bills, running your bank accounts and investing your money. If they have a personal welfare LPA, they can generally make decisions about where you should live, how you should be treated medically, what you should eat and who you should have contact with.

You may choose anyone you trust as your attorney, provided they are over 18, not bankrupt and they are willing to take on the role.

• Ms X had an issue with her car. A part which was fitted at time of manufacture was effectively not fit for purpose and as a result the vehicle broke down. Ms X had the part replaced at great expense and tried to make a claim against the car manufacturer but they disputed liability. After five months of trying to come to a solution Ms X contacted Teesside Law Clinic to take the matter further. After negotiations between Teesside Law Clinic and the car manufacturer, they decided to reimburse Ms X the full amount she had outlaid as a goodwill gesture.
• A landlord came to Teesside Law Clinic, seeking assistance in dealing with a tenant who was not paying the rent and was anti-social. The landlord had already issued a Section 21 Notice, but wanted to know what next steps could be taken. The students involved in the case applied to the court for accelerated possession. The tenant submitted a defence and as such a hearing was allocated. The students prepared their submissions and attended the court to represent the landlord. The students presented their case successfully and possession was granted to the landlord.
• Mr Y came to Teesside Law Clinic for help in setting aside a judgment made against them. The judgment was made in the North West of England and Mr Y did not receive any notice of the hearing. Teesside Law Clinic students prepared the submissions as Mr Y had already applied for the Set Aside himself. At the hearing, the students made submissions in respect of the Set Aside and the appropriate grounds for doing so. They were successful and made an application for the next hearing to be held in Teesside. Again they were successful in this application.
• Ms Z approached Teesside Law Clinic with an issue relating to a contract on the site her caravan was located. Ms Z was distraught that she was effectively being tied in to the site for a further year, because despite giving notice, she was informed that the notice period given was too short. Her knowledge was she had given the requisite notice in accordance with her contractual terms. The students reviewed the contract and found some errors and then successfully negotiated with the park owner to allow Ms Z to remove her caravan to a new site, saving her in excess of £2,000. In addition, the park owner was grateful to us for pointing out the issues to him.