Unique service offers support for people in family courts

Vulnerable people who do not have access to legal advice in a North East family court are being given support thanks to Teesside University law students.

Teesside University Law Clinic will have a base at family court sessions at Middlesbrough Family Court to offer emotional support and procedural advice to people who are representing themselves in private law family cases.

The initiative is the one of only two similar schemes in the whole country and the only one in the North of England.

The Law Clinic, which offers free community legal services, has been given special permission by the court to attend and work with unrepresented people, known as litigants in person.

The final year LLB law students will be supported by staff from the Law Clinic, who are all trained legal professionals, and will attend the court on Tuesdays which is when the first hearing dispute resolution hearings take place at the family court.

Those attending at court who do not have access to lawyers will be signposted to the Law Clinic students if they wish to avail themselves of its services.

The students will offer procedural advice on the hearings, explaining the court process and the next stages and emotional support to those involved.

Emma Harbron, Senior Lecturer in Legal Practice at Teesside University, who pioneered the new scheme, said: “The Law Clinic is delighted to be able to offer this service at Middlesbrough Family Court.

“As well as helping those members of the public who are struggling to access justice, this initiative will be invaluable for our students, offering them an opportunity to gain real-world experience of court proceedings, interact with other legal professionals and deal with clients.

“All of these will be vital skills in their future careers.”

His Honour Judge Harvey Murray, a local Family Court judge, said: “This is an exciting new service aimed at providing those who are attending before our Family Court with the support and assistance they might need. This collaboration between the University and the Court Centre will hopefully give members of our community more confidence when attending what could be an emotionally demanding hearing.”

The Law Clinic has been running for several years at Teesside University and offers free legal advice to members of the community in areas including employment, civil disputes, landlord and tenant and wills.

It works in partnership with lawyers, charities and voluntary organisations to provide students with real opportunities and practical skills in law.

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