Civil Legal Advice (CLA)

You might be able to get free and confidential advice from Civil Legal Advice (CLA) as part of legal aid if you’re in England or Wales.

If you’re eligible, you can get help from CLA for problems including:

  • debt, if your home is at risk
  • housing, if you’re homeless or at risk of being evicted
  • domestic abuse
  • separating from an abusive partner, when you’re making arrangements for children or sorting out money and property
  • a child being taken into care
  • special education needs
  • discrimination
  • some child abduction cases

Check if you’re eligible

  1. Check if you’re eligible for legal aid. You’ll get CLA’s contact details if they might be able to help with your problem.

  2. Contact CLA and confirm you’re eligible by explaining your problem and providing proof of your finances.

  3. If it sounds like you’re eligible, you’ll be put through to a legal adviser. They’ll decide what advice you can get.

  4. If CLA cannot help you, they’ll suggest somewhere else you might be able to get advice.

You can ask CLA to call you back if you do not want to pay for the call. 

You can also use CLA’s free interpreting service if:

  • English is not your first language
  • you’re deaf or hard of hearing and you need a British Sign Language interpreter

Proof you’ll need to provide

Have the following with you when you speak to CLA:

  • recent payslips (if you’re working)
  • bank statements
  • details of any savings and investments you have
  • details of any benefits you get
  • mortgage statements and a current valuation for any property you own

Complain about CLA

You can contact CLA if you’re unhappy about the service you’ve received from them.

Civil Legal Advice (CLA)
Telephone: 0345 345 4345
Textphone: 0345 435 4345
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0345 345 4345
Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm
Find out about call charges

You can also text ‘legalaid’ and your name to 80010 to ask CLA to call you back. This costs the same as a normal text message.

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