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New legal advice service benefits people across the Highlands and Islands
* Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Civil Legal Assistance Office for Highland and the Islands deals with over 300 enquiries and helps around 120 clients since opening in February 2008 * Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Civil Legal Assistance Office - Highland and Islands officially opened by Fergus Ewing MSP * Communities across Highland and the Islands benefit from improved access to civil legal assistance provided by Scottish Legal Aid Board.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board has today (Tuesday 5 August 2008) marked the official opening of its Civil Legal Assistance Office for Highland and Islands, by hosting a visit for Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing MSP at its office in Inverness. The Civil Legal Assistance Office has been set up to help ensure people across the Highlands and Islands who are eligible for legal aid can access legal help in civil cases from a solicitor. The new Civil Legal Assistance Office, which is the first one in Scotland, works in partnership with local private sector solicitors who provide legal aid services, as well as advice agencies. The new service can help where people are having difficulties finding legal help including taking someone on as a client. Employing three full-time solicitors, the office offers an appointment-based service and helps to open up access to legal advice across the region, dealing with a wide range of legal problems from family law and employment issues to nuisance/harassment cases and landlord/tenant grievances. Since opening its doors in February 2008, the office has dealt with over 300 enquiries from communities across Highland, Moray, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland and has taken on around 120 clients. Ian Dickson, Head of the Office said: “The very welcome commitment given to the establishment of the Civil Legal Assistance Office by the Scottish Government has allowed us to take on direct case work for clients who have been unable to find a solicitor available or willing to take on their case. We are now able to provide a legal advice service for most common issues such as court proceedings, housing, employment, debt and relationship problems.” He further explained “We aim to deliver a service that will complement the excellent work already being provided by local solicitors in the region, not compete. Upon being approached by a member of the public, we check whether a local solicitor would be available and willing to take on a case before engaging clients in our service. Where no such solicitor is willing or available, we may then be able to act. We can then offer advice, assistance or representation where we take the person on as a client of our service. Ultimately, it is our aim to work alongside local solicitors, so that together we maximise the legal resources available in the Highlands and Islands, to the benefit of all people seeking legal advice.” As part of the arrangement with local solicitors for how the Civil Legal Assistance Office works with them, the office is compiling detailed information on solicitors willing to do legal aid work and others doing private fee-paying work so that this information can be used to appropriately refer members of the public looking for legal help. Since opening, the office has successfully referred over 65 of its enquiries on to private solicitors and itself has received over 131 referrals from private firms. Caroline Graham, Dean of the Faculty of Solicitors of the Highlands said: “The Civil Legal Assistance Office is helping to meet legal need in the Highlands. We look forward to continuing our co-operative working which has been evident since the office opened.” The office also offers support through legal consultancy and advisor training to partner agencies such as the 14 Citizens Advice Bureaux in the region, as well as Women’s Aid groups. These agencies can refer clients directly to the office and vice-versa - the office will often signpost clients to these agencies for further support and information. Carol Greer, Citizens Advice Scotland Advisory Officer for the Highlands and the Western Isles commented: “Having the expertise and guidance of the team at the Civil Legal Assistance Office has made a huge difference to the capabilities of staff throughout our bureaux network within the Highlands and Islands. Through the excellent training programme provided, many advisors are better able to deal with a wider range of legal issues which in turn has opened up access to justice across the region. The support of the Civil Legal Assistance Office allows us to better deliver legal advice to communities who, up until now, have had difficulties accessing such advice.” The Civil Legal Assistance Office solicitors are employed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to act for people receiving legal aid, to give advice and assistance and to work with local organisations. Lindsay Montgomery, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board added: “I am delighted that we have been able to develop this service, which by working in partnership with local legal aid solicitors in the private sector and advice agencies will enhance legal advice services delivered to communities across Highland and the Islands. Our office will help ensure high quality legal advice services are available to those eligible for legal aid. It also opens up access to justice for people who up until now have found it difficult to obtain legal advice or representation locally.” He continued: “I very much welcome the support we have had from private solicitors, advice and referral agencies and others in local communities across the area, in establishing the office. We look forward to building on that to ensure that high quality publicly funded legal advice is available at the heart of the community, to those who need it most.” Access to the Civil Legal Assistance Office can be sought by calling 0845 123 2353 or emailing mail@pvs.slab.org.uk. It should be noted that the solicitors can only meet clients by pre-arranged appointment. Appointments are only usually arranged after a brief assessment of eligibility - usually made by telephone - and to see if the client may be referred to a solicitor in private practice. Clients are advised that information on eligibility for civil legal assistance can also be had by contacting the Scottish Legal Aid Board’s Legal Aid Helpline on 0845 122 8686 (open seven days a week 7am-11pm) or by using the Board’s online calculators or legal aid leaflets at www.slab.org.uk. The Board’s helpline and website can also give details of all solicitors who are registered with it for legal aid work. The office’s close links with all Citizens Advice Bureaux in Highland and the Islands also allows their advisers to tell clients more about the service, how to contact it and advise on eligibility for legal aid. -ENDS- JOURNALISTS PLEASE CONTACT: NOTES TO EDITORS:
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