Community Legal Advice helpline
Call us for free advice now
0845 345 4 345
We are open from 9am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday.
Want to know more?
- How can the Community Legal Advice helpline help me?
- What will happen when I call?
- I'm worried about how much the call will cost
- Can I get advice in other languages?
- Can I use Minicom or Typetalk?
How can the Community Legal Advice helpline help me?
Community Legal Advice can help you deal with everyday problems by giving you high quality, confidential advice over the phone.
We are funded by legal aid, so if you live on a low income or benefits, you can get free independent advice about debt, education, benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems.
Even if you are not eligible for legal aid, we can still find ways to help by putting you in touch with the right agency or advice organisation.
The service covers English and Welsh law.
What will happen when I call?
The first person you will speak to is an operator. They are not legally trained but will ask you questions about your problem to find out what kind of information and advice you need.
- If you have a problem we can help with, the operator will ask you some more questions about your finances to see if you are eligible for free specialist advice.
- If you are eligible and want advice over the phone you will be connected to a specialist legal adviser immediately. The specialist legal adviser will then take on your case. They will write letters on your behalf and speak to people like landlords and creditors for you. They can even prepare bundles of documents for you to take to an employment tribunal.
- You can speak to your adviser, in confidence, as many times as you need to, until your problem is solved.
- Even if we can't help, we can put you in touch with other services that can.
- We never charge for our services. All our advice and help is funded by legal aid.
I'm worried about how much the call will cost?
Calls cost no more than 4p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from mobiles are usually more. If you are worried about the cost, you can ask an adviser to call you back, or get us to call you by:
- using our simple webform - we'll call you at a time that suits you
- Texting 'legalaid' then your name to 80010 and we'll call you back within 24 hours. The cost of your text will be at the standard rate for your operator.
The service is the same but you will save yourself the cost of a call.
Can I get advice in other languages?
The helpline has a free translation service if you would like advice in a language other than English or Welsh. Language Line provides an instant translation service in 170 languages.
Can I use Minicom or Typetalk?
Minicom and Typetalk calls are welcome.
- Minicom is a telephone typewriter device for communication with or between deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired people. The Minicom number is 0845 609 6677.
- Typetalk enables those who have hearing difficulties to use a text phone to access telephone advice through a free operator service.
