Suffolk Law Centre's Legal Advice Clinic: 

Suffolk Law Centre's Legal Advice Clinic (LAC) is a free legal service based in Ipswich. It is provided through a collaboration of the local charity, ISCRE, Suffolk and North Essex Law Society [SNELS] and LawWorks (a national pro bono charity). The service is funded by the Tudor Trust. 

We offer 30 minutes of free legal advice to anyone who lives/works in Suffolk, Norfolk, or Essex CO postcodes. The advice is provided in social welfare legal areas such as employment, housing, immigration, personal injury, wills and probate, and family law. 

Appointments are currently held over the telephone, by prior appointment. Please contact us on 01473 408111 or at office@suffolklawcentre.org.uk  to book an appointment. You will be required to complete a short form (or we can complete this with you over the phone) giving details of the issue. A free telephone interpreting service is available upon request.  

We aim to facilitate access to justice for all Suffolk residents, particularly the disadvantaged in our community - the impoverished, disabled, illiterate, those from minority ethnic groups and migrant workers with limited English. Some clients receive advice at the point of contact or are signposted to more appropriate services. Most clients hear about our service from previous service users. 

We support those representing themselves in Court, providing procedural advice by enabling them to access reliable materials and self-help guides via our bespoke, regularly updated web page. 

Housing Services:  

We provide legal advice and casework for clients facing housing issues such as possession claims, disrepair in rented properties, homelessness, illegal eviction and harassment. The service we provide is funded via Legal Aid which can pay some or all of the clients costs. A financial assessment is required to confirm that a client qualifies for Legal Aid even when the client is in receipt of a passporting benefit such as Universal Credit. 

We also provide a duty adviser at Bury St Edmunds County Court for housing possession hearings when listed. 

Please visit our website at http://www.suffolklawcentre.org.uk/. and complete a housing booking form for an appointment. 

Discrimination:  

Services we offer:   

• We provide advice and casework assistance for people who have suffered unlawful discrimination in employment, accessing goods and services; education, housing and leisure in Suffolk who qualify for Legal Help (previously Legal Aid).  
• Fortnightly LAC clinic to offer one off advice on unlawful discrimination. 
• We have funding specifically for advice for disabled people for accessing work or for accessing reasonable adjustments in work on a case by case basis.  
• We are also starting work with disability organisations in Suffolk to create a disability in the workplace hub for advice and assistance for disabled people to access work and to help employers facilitate workplace adjustments for current and future employees who may be disabled.  

As with all discrimination claims, unlawful discrimination covers the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 of race, nationality, ethnic origin or colour, sex, religion or belief, age, disability, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, or pregnancy and maternity. 

Strict time limits apply to discrimination claims. You only have 3 months less one day from the date of the discrimination to start a claim in the employment tribunal. You only have 6 months less one day in relation to education or goods and services.  

Please contact us on 01473 408111 or at office@suffolklawcentre.org.uk to book an appointment. You will be required to complete a short form (or we can complete this with you over the phone) giving details of the issue and a financial eligibility form. Alternatively, you can visit our website at www.suffolklawcentre.org.uk where you can download the booking form and email it to discrimination@suffolklawcentre.org.uk 

Family Legal Advice and Casework:  

Suffolk Law Centre offers free legal advice and assistance to clients on an extensive range of Family matters that involve children. We work with clients where there is a dispute between private* individuals (for example parents). We offer advice and assistance at all stages of an enquiry, from negotiating with the other party to try to reach an agreement without having to take the matter to court, through to help with all stages of court applications. We work with clients who are unrepresented, and so are Litigants in Person (LiPs) in the court process. We can help with completing forms for court application, writing statements for hearings, and offer advice to help clients prepare for court hearings. We can also support clients who have experienced domestic abuse to find a Family Legal Aid lawyer. We run a weekly Family Court HelpDesk at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court to provide information to LiPs about what will happen during their court hearing and what information the court will use to reach a decision about an issue involving their child(ren).  

Our Family services are currently funded through Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS) scheme run by the Access To Justice Foundation. 

*Where there is a dispute with a Local Authority (i.e. care proceedings) then free legal advice is available from family solicitors through Legal Aid.