Support Through Court

It is hard to imagine facing court on your own. Yet this is the reality for many people facing life-changing situations: bankruptcy, eviction, deportation, or loss of contact with children. Many thousands of people who cannot afford a lawyer must represent themselves through some of the most stressful situations any of us may have to face. Support Through Court volunteers offer practical and emotional support to people who are representing themselves in civil and family court proceedings. We have over 700 trained and experienced volunteers who give free, independent assistance 5,000 times a month across 23 court centres across England and Wales. Our aim is to provide free support to anyone who comes to us. We provide reassurance and practical help; we talk our clients through the legal processes and we help them understand what will happen in the court room. In short, we aim to help our clients engage with the justice system and, regardless of the outcome of their cases, know that they represented themselves to the best if their abilities.