How to contact us for advice
We provide advice to parents, grandparents, relatives, friends and kinship carers who are involved with children’s services in England or need their help. We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.
Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.
To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). For Textphone dial 18001 followed by the advice line number. Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.
Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.
Our get help and advice section describes the processes that you and your family are likely to go through, so that you know what to expect. Our webchat service can help you find the information and advice on our website which will help you understand the law and your rights.
Legal aid is the payment of public funds or money towards legal advice, mediation and representation.
To apply for legal aid to seek any of the court orders mentioned above you have to apply to the Legal Aid Agency (LAA). This is the Government body in charge of legal aid in England and Wales.
This is because legal aid is generally only available for those on a low income or benefits and who can satisfy the financial limits set by the LAA. The LAA will look at your savings, properties, income from employment and any other sources of income. Depending on the level of your income and capital, you may have to pay a contribution towards your legal aid. If you benefit financially from the case you may have to pay back your legal costs to the LAA.
In some limited types of cases you may automatically be eligible for legal aid. This includes parents and others with parental responsibility where the local authority has applied for a care or supervision order or an emergency protection order.
For further information on legal aid for family law, see Rights of Women’s Guide to Family Law Legal Aid. To find out whether you can get legal aid contact the Legal Aid Agency.
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