In order to ensure that our limited resources have their maximum impact, LAC follows certain guidelines. These are:
For the most part, everyone who visits University House Legal Advice Centre (LAC) will be provided with assistance of some sort; however, we do not offer advice on criminal law matters.
As a general rule, advice and assistance on all other matters will be provided within the constraints of our service.
We will not provide assistance to a user who, in our judgement, has a hopeless case. During the course of a case, we have a duty to monitor and consider the merits of a claim, and there will be situations where we reserve the right to withdraw from assisting you further.
During our Family Law Clinics only, we will not be able to support and act for perpetrators of domestic violence. If a disclosure is made to us at a later stage, we reserve the right to cease to act in these cases.
We are NOT able to act in any matter where a conflict of interest or a significant risk of a conflict of interest has been identified i.e. a conflict between two or more clients or when circumstances prevent the solicitor from acting in the client’s best interests.
As a general rule, LAC will not go on record in tribunal or court matters (the only exception to this rule concerns specialist employment, housing and welfare benefit matters, which are covered by service level agreements).
Our case management, by necessity, is reactive. In practice, this means that upon receiving a written response to representations made on behalf of a user, that response is copied to the user inviting the user to contact us if they require further advice and assistance on the matter. As a rule, we will not chase a user for a response and no further work will be done until a user approaches us, to give further instructions. It is therefore extremely important that a user keeps us informed of their requirements.
At LAC’s complete discretion, we will inform users that their cases (regardless of whether we have previously provided support) should be pursued by other agencies or means.
We may also take the view if we felt that our representations were having a limited effect and that the user’s case would be better served by the full attentions of an instructed firm of high street solicitors.
You must inform us whenever you change address or there are other important developments in your personal circumstances. Please remember to quote your reference number whenever you contact us, this is the number at the top left-hand corner of any letter, above the address. LAC is often very busy and if you need to discuss your case then you should email us at admin@legaladvicecentre.london or telephone us on 0203 606 0372.
LAC will not continue to act for clients who show abusive or discriminatory behaviour towards staff or other users.
As a general rule, LAC will not hold any original documents, but will take copies or scans.
Please see the attached Privacy Notice for details on how we use your personal information.
LAC has a formal complaints procedure. If for some reason you have a complaint about our service, then please ask for a copy of the procedure.
For up-to-date information regarding our session times and appointment availability, please see our website www.legaladvicecentre.london
Please note, whilst our office hours are 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday, some of our sessions run outside of these times.