Where can I access free financial and legal advice?

[Hidethesausage]

Just that; I can't pay a solicitor or financial advisor, but need advice about my current situation. Is there anywhere I can go for advice on a complex situation?

I'd try citizens Advice Bureau first

Do you qualify for Legal Aid? Google it to see what the criterion for legal aid is.

Don't go to citizens advice unless they have a specialist legal adviser. I used to work there and we couldn't advise on divorce .

I won't qualify for legal aid, no.

Then it's highly unlikely you will find anyone who is able to provide a valuable skill that takes time for free. Why would they? They all have bills to pay, too. Why would anyone pay for legal advice if they could get it for free.

If you've got house insurance you might have access to a legal advice line.

Rather than instruct a Solicitor try a direct access Barrister.

I called citizens advice asking for the same, they told me to find a solicitor. I wandered then what do they advise in?

Do you havd an employees assistance scheme at work, you may be able to get some advice that way?

Some will give the first half an hour free but the expectation you pay for some time. I would do as much research as possible to utilise the free time - lots of things you can find out for free on the internet.

I'm sure somebody on here signalled me to a free advice forum. Lots of people do want to share their expertise and knowledge in a general way about the law. I'll have to have a look into previous posts.

Many CABs can get you a free solicitor's appointment, although no solicitor will be able to help you much in 20 or 30 minutes chat.

I wandered then what do they advise in?

CAB can give great advice on a whole range of areas. Consumer, debt, employment, benefits, disability, and so on. They have well constructed advice guides that enable experienced volunteers to advise with some accuracy.

Finance on divorce is simply not amenable to that kind of process. It's very complex.

A simple divorce is easy enough to do yourself. However, some solicitors may offer 30 mins free - but won't advise how to complete a complex divorce. No solicitor will give any substantial legal advice within that appointment.

If there are any hints of DV then you may be able to access Legal Aid, but they will also assess your finances and will not grant it if you are not a low earner or you have substantial assets.

Does your employer have any type of employee assistance scheme that includes counselling or legal advice? I got free legal advice via a telephone session that was useful as a starting point.

If you need financial advice it rather indicates there is money to split between you and your spouse. Divorces can be well handled by a high street solicitor for reasonable sums.

Have a one hour appointment with lawyer.

Read court transcripts online.

Basically anything accumulated during marriage is split 50/50.

Generally speaking anything before after seperation is excluded. If your a STAHM you can claim economic disadvantage to get more assuming you realistically sacrificed your career for him during the marriage.

1. Ask friends and acquaintances if they are divorced about the solicitor they used and see if they recommend them. Then get their details if they do.
2. Write up a list of questions you want answered. Do some research online about the possible answers making sure it is the correct legal jurisdiction.
3. Book a one hour appointment with one of the recommended solicitors and ask them your questions mentioning any answers relevant. Some solicitors are nice and will charge you an hour for a slightly longer appointment if you are organised.

If you won't qualify for legal aid then you can get a free half hour with some some solicitors but ultimately you'll have to pay for it.

@MooseBeTimeForSummer

Rather than instruct a Solicitor try a direct access Barrister.

If you have experience of this please could you explain how it works and why it's a better option than using a solicitor? Is it more realistic advice based on likely court outcome? Is it more expensive than consulting a solicitor and can/ do they draw up proposed consent orders? How do you find one?!

I would be very grateful for any insights as this is an avenue I'm exploring. TIA.

You could also try rights of women for some initial advice: rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/family-law/
They have a free helpline, but you often have to keep ringing as they are understandably in demand! They also have some fact sheets on their website.

@Momentumneeded
Many Solicitors are very capable and can represent clients well at hearings. Sometimes, in more complex cases, they will ask a Barrister to prepare a written advice based on the facts of the case and the current law and/or give instructions to represent the client at the FDR or final hearing. They can draft financial orders.

In those cases it cuts out the costs of the solicitor acting as the go-between.

www.barcouncil.org.uk/using-a-barrister/public-access/

I had a quick look at the link you kindly shared but don’t have a clue how I can contact anyone for advice for my own case. Me too I have a complicated multinational divorce case and have a child and struggling financially so can’t afford much. It took me a year now just to understand how things work and I finally made a divorce application online but don’t even know if I done it correctly. Please help

Try wikivorce - free advice over the phone, and various reasonably priced options if you need more than that.

Go online and find court transcripts from previous divorce cases.

The sheriffs judgements provide a lot of useful insight into their line of thought and also legal precedents.

That's what I did. A great source of info and helps you to get yours ducks in a row.

Lots of useful, detailed, free advice here
www.advicenow.org.uk/divorce-and-separation
And here
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/categories/divorce-and-separation

I suggest you do your homework and then try and get a free or low cost initial consultation with one or two solicitors. Citizens Advice can't give legal advice but they can signpost and they will know about local law clinics and solicitors offering free initial consultations. I work at a local and we have one or two family solicitors who offer free appointments to our clients.

There is also Rights of Women and their free family law helpline.

Once you've got all the free advice you can, consider paying for more legal advice if you need it. If there are assets (property, savings, pensions) it would be well worth investing in advice to ensure you get your fair share.

a local office