Legal Advice Groups Launch Event Hosted By Magic Circle Law Firm.

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by Natasha in event, legal aid, LIP Service, LIPs, Researching Reform

An event looking at ways in which lawyers, lay advisors, charities and academics can help improve access to justice has been launched by the Advice Service Alliance, the Access to Justice Foundation, LegalVoice and the Litigant in Person Support Strategy.

The event is being bankrolled by Magic Circle law firm Allen & Overy.

Researching Reform was very kindly sent the invite from the Access to Justice Foundation.

There are three confirmed sessions so far, which include:

Identifying and supporting distressed clients – a psychiatrist view
Driven to digital distraction – re purposing tech for good so it works for us
Supporting health and well-being in your organisation

Allen & Overy’s press briefing for the event offers further details:

About

This collaborative event, aimed at people working in the access to justice sector, will provide space and time to share work, experiences, problems and learning points on some of the key issues facing the sector, as identified by the sector. The conference will create a dialogue between professionals and explore the potential to develop solutions and further collaboration.

Delegates will have the opportunity to engage in and contribute to strategic developments for the sector, network with access to justice and related sectors and benefit from expertise in allied and external sectors. Our aim is for attendees to leave the event with relevant and practical information in priority areas which can support the delivery of services in their organisations.

The aims and objectives of the conference are as follows:

Aims

Host a collaborative event working in partnership with access to justice organisations, for people working in the access to justice sector.
Provide a space and time for people to share their work, experience, problems and learning and discuss issues in particular focus areas that stakeholders in the sector have identified.
Bring in external sector expertise to understand how other professions and sectors support similar issues in these areas.
Focus on solutions and invest resources to investigate the potential to further develop the solutions and collaborations identified at the event.

Objectives

Delegates who attend the event will have:

Useful and practical advice or specific outputs which can be implemented in their work
Increased understanding of what other work is going on inside the access to justice sector and where their work and experiences are shared.
Opportunity to network with the access to justice sector and related external sector experts.
Opportunity to engage in and contribute to strategic developments for the sector.

While we were reading up on the event, we came across a legal support website called Advice Now, which is run by the Access To Justice Foundation. There is a Family and Personal section which deals with Family Law issues like care proceedings. Do let us know what you think of it.

The Litigant In Person Network is also interesting. Members include the Bar Pro Bono Unit and Child Law Advice.

The conference takes place on 21 May, 2019 at Allen & Overy’s London Office.

Tickets can be booked here. The event is free however the organisers request a £20 deposit which attendees will get back upon arriving at the venue.

LIPImage

Litigants In Person: Ask A Question, Get An Answer on LIP Service

19 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by Natasha in LIP Service, LIPs

≈ 2 Comments

Researching Reform will shortly be producing another one of its LIP Service videos for self represented families, and this time we would like to offer you answers to some of your most frequently asked questions.

We already have a list of things we will be adding, which we’ve gathered over the years assisting families, from commonly asked questions to difficult to find information we are often asked for, but we’d love you to add your queries below.

So, please do let us know what family court related questions you have and we will do our best to answer them all.

LIP Service – An Introduction To The Divorce Process

10 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Natasha in LIP Service, Researching Reform

≈ 2 Comments

Our second video for litigants in person, or anyone who would like to know more about the family court process, is all about the basics of divorce. From an overview of how divorces are processed to some basic terms used, this video offers a simple introduction to the key stages and jargon used.

Data Pack:

Next week’s video will offer an introduction into care orders and the care process.

LIP Service – Tool Kit For Representing Yourself in The Family Courts

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Natasha in Data Pack, LIP Service

≈ 7 Comments

We made it – we finally recorded our first proper video for our LIP Service series. If you can forgive the waving hands and the random strand of hair which gradually makes its way towards the camera during the video, what you have left is a video offering some essential resources for families going through the courts.

You can access the video and your Data Pack below:

Data Pack

Parliament Website (brilliant for keeping up to date with the latest law and policy developments)
Write To Them(great for finding MPs in your area as they can be very helpful)
Jordans (excellent for news, comment and articles on every area of family law)
Family Law Week (good for family law news)
BAILII (awesome for case law)
Forms (You can find and print out forms here)
Legal Aid (the latest on legal aid)
Government website (helplines)

LIP Service – A Practical Guide for Parents & Children Going Through the Family Courts

14 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Natasha in Children, LIP Service

≈ 5 Comments

What’s the deal?

We’ve been thinking about providing a service which allows parents and children to get all the help they need, for a long time. We started with our divorce manual, which was a basic look at the system and then moved on to our Encyclopaedia on Family Law which whilst still active, we realised, was not enough.

So, what did you do?

We came up with LIP (Litigants In Person) Service: a Youtube channel filled with short videos on how to find information, build your case and navigate the court process. It won’t matter if you’re very new to the world of the family courts, because everything is explained in simple English and without the legal mumbo jumbo (and if we have to add it, we’ll break it down into every day speak for you).

Who are the video “How To’s” for?

LIP Service is for everyone. It’s for parents going through divorce, for families experiencing local authority intervention and it is especially for children. We know the legal aid cuts and the cost of representation are making it almost impossible to get the help you need and so we thought we would offer you a way of empowering your family, by giving you the best tools to make your way through the system, so you’re as prepared as you can be. And many of the tools we’ll share with you, are free.

Won’t this upset the legal profession?

Not the intelligent folks. Smart lawyers know that sharing knowledge and acquiring a skill are two very different things. Learning to become a lawyer takes years, and is not something most parents are interested in doing. Knowledge, though, is for everyone. We don’t tolerate neurotic information retention, and neither should you.

What’s a Data Pack?

Data Packs are added to every post we write for each video. They will include links to helpful websites and support groups, as well as organisations who we think are excellent and provide a good service, whether it’s signposting, support or something else super groovy.

Can we see the videos?

Our very first one is at the bottom of this post. It introduces the LIP service project and gives you a taste of what we’re going to be covering. We’re always very happy to receive feedback and suggestions for videos, so don’t be shy, we’re listening.

We really hope LIP service is helpful in some way; good luck…..