Legal Advice
There are a number of organisations who may be able to help you by providing advice and support. Please find details below:
General Advice
Advicelocal
advicelocal is a UK-wide service providing a post code driven search for local advice services as well as guides to welfare benefits, employment, debt, housing, immigration & asylum, and disability & social care issues.
Advicenow
Advicenow is an independent, not-for-profit website providing accurate, up-to-date information on rights and legal issues.
Advice UK
Advice UK is the largest UK network of advice providing organisations.
Cheetham Hill Advice Centre
Offering help with Universal Credit, Tax Credits and benefits, Council Tax support, debt, housing and claiming housing benefits, Advice if you have no recourse to public funds, self employment income support scheme and statutory sick pay
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice provides information on your rights, including benefits, housing, family matters and employment, and on debt, consumer and legal issues.
Greater Manchester Law Centre
Free legal advice on employment, housing, welfare benefits, domestic violence, Windrush immigration and Asylum support
Liberty
Guidance on how to access legal advice and source legal representation across a number of legal issues.
SILKS Law Clinic: Free Legal Advice
For the community from University of Salford Law School
The University of Law
Legal advice for the public
The University of Manchester Legal Advice Centre
Students supervised by University staff and volunteer lawyers, offer free advice to the general public
Court Support
Manchester Free Legal Help
Manchester Free Legal Help (MFLH) is an advice-only service at the Civil Justice Centre, offering litigants in person guidance as they navigate the legal process, particularly in the areas of Family Law and Immigration Law
Support Through Court
Offer support and guidance before, during, and after court. They ensure that those facing court alone feel prepared and supported in accessing justice.
Crime
Victim Support
If you’ve been a victim of any crime or have been affected by a crime committed against someone you know, Victim Support can help you deal with what you’ve been through.
Debt and Finance
Debt Advice Foundation
The Debt Advice Foundation can give you free confidential advice about your debt problems over the phone.
National Debt Line
National Debtline can give you advice and information about debt problems.
StepChange Debt Charity
Step Change can give you free, confidential advice about debt problems.
TaxAid
Provides assistance to those on a low income whose problems cannot be resolved with HMRC.
Domestic Violence
Karma Nirvana
Supports victims of honour-based violence and forced marriage.
National Centre for Domestic Violence
The National Centre of Domestic Violence (NCDV) provides a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestics violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation.
Rape Crisis
Find your nearest specialist Rape Crisis organisation near you services using the search facility on their website.
Respect Men’s Advice Line
For male victims of domestic abuse
Rights of Women
Find their advice lines here
Refuge and Women’s Aid
Refuge and Women’s Aid run a freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence
Safety for Sisters
S4S are here to listen and support women experiencing abuse who have an immigration issues and no recourse to public funds
Saheli
Specialist domestic abuse support service for Asian Women
St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre
Offer immediate crisis support, access to medical care and can put you in contact with an Independent Sexual Violence Advisor to provide support through court action
Survivors UK
Survivors UK support male and non-binary survivors of sexual abuse
Employment
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)
ACAS provides information, advice, training, conciliation and other services for employers and employees to help prevent or resolve workplace problems.
You can find advice on their website or contact them on their helpline: 0300 123 1100 (Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)
Employment Legal Advice
A collaboration between Growth Company, Citizens Advice and a network of legal partners to specifically help individuals across Greater Manchester to access free employment-related legal support.
Apply for advice via their website or call them on 0161 233 2686
Protect (formerly Public concern at work)
Protect is the UK’s whistleblowing charity, they can provide advice to individuals with whistleblowing dilemmas at work.
Free, confidential whistleblowing advice from Protect’s specialist advisers: 0203 117 2520
Open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: (9:30am–1pm and 2pm–5:30pm); Wednesday and Friday: (9:30am–1pm)
Family
Both Parents Matter
Both Parents Matter runs monthly support meetings and with Law Works Cymru and support from local solicitors provides free legal clinics across Wales.
Find a Legal Aid Adviser or Family Mediator (justice.gov.uk)
Search for a legal adviser or family mediator with a legal aid contract in England and Wales
Gingerbread
Gingerbread provides support and expert advice on a range of issues including dealing with a break-up, to going back to work and benefit or tax credit issues.
Rights of Women
Rights of Women offers free, confidential legal advice for women in England and Wales on family law and criminal law (for example, about sexual offences including rape and sexual assault, domestic violence and harassment, reporting offences to the police and the criminal justice system, the rights of victims, witnesses and defendants and criminal injuries compensation).
Health and Disability
Disability Law Service
Disability Law Service provides information, advice and assistance to those with disabilities and their carers.
Mind
The Charity Mind provides legal information and general advice on mental health related law covering mental health, mental capacity, community care, human rights and discrimination and equality related to mental health issues
Scope
Scope provides information and support for disabled people. Disability Information and Advice Line (DIAL) services are run for and by disabled people.
Housing and homelessness
BPP Legal Advice Clinic
Offering advice on various housing issues including neighbour disputes, tenancy issues, service charges, rent deposits and disrepair
Shelter
The homelessness charity Shelter runs a housing helpline, has a network of housing aid centres and works with local citizens advice bureaux.
Shelter Cymru
Shelter Cymru can advise on urgent housing problems if you live in Wales. It also runs advice surgeries across Wales.
Street Support Network
For information about organisations offering assistance to people who are homeless or in need of support.
Immigration and Asylum
The Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA)
ILPA has a directory of their members on their website. You can search this to find an immigration adviser near you.
Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants represents clients at all stages of the legal process from entry clearance applications through to appeals and judicial review.
Migrant Help
Migrant Help provides confidential and impartial advice and guidance to adult asylum seekers and their dependants throughout the UK
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit
GMIAU exists to advise, support, represent and campaign with people subject to immigration control
LGBTQ+
RISE
Provides a LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 01273 622 822 (Open on Monday and Tuesday mornings 9.30 – 12.30pm, and Wednesday evenings 5-7pm)
Alternatively, you can email at LGBT@riseuk.org.uk letting them know a good time and safe number on which to call.
Stonewall
Provides services and advocacy to the LGBTQ+ community and resources for people experiencing domestic abuse in LGBTQ+ relationships.
Galop
Supports LGBT+ people who are victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, so-called conversion therapies, honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and other forms of abuse.
LGBT Bucks
Supports the Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) trans* population of Britain.
Mental Health
Manchester Mind
It can be hard to understand what your rights are, or how to assert them – especially when you’re unwell. Manchester Mind have information for you on sectioning, discrimination, and your rights in other common situations. These guides are for adults in England and Wales who live with mental health problems.