Childrens Support Services
Free, confidential and independent advice to parents and families who have a child aged under 5
Who are we?
The Community Law Service Children’s Centre Debt Advice Project is aimed at providing free, confidential & independent Debt advice and assistance to parents & families with a child under 5 in their household, within Phase 3 Children’s Centres in Northamptonshire East. The Children’s Centres we are working with are Abington, Brixworth, Daventry West, Daventry East, Hardingstone & Wootton, Hunsbury, Long Buckby, Penfold, Upton, Rushden, Thrapston & Oundle, provision of Financial Capability Sessions to Centre Users (delivered as group sessions), is also included.
DEBT:-
- Debt Counselling – preparation of financial statements, prioritisation of debts, maximisation of income, liaising with creditors.
- Bankruptcy, Debt Relief Orders, IVA’s – advice on Bankruptcy, Debt Relief Orders, assisting with paperwork, representation at hearings.
- Court Reprensentation – representation at repossession hearings (rent or mortgage), representation for bankruptcy petitions and administration orders, representation for credit/charging orders, execution of warrants.
- We are also able to offer further Specialist advice/assistance to those who are eligible for Legal Service Funding, from our Benefit, Family Law, Housing, Immigration & Employment Law Teams. Your CLS dedicated worker can refer Centre Users internally as appropriate.
Benefits:-
We can advice & assist with Welfare Benefits and provide help and support with any problems you are having with claims you have made for Benefits – ie Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment & Support Allowance, , such as challenging decisions, advice & assistance with appeals
Family Law:-
- Divorce – advising and assisting for either party in divorce, drafting paperwork, serving papers on other party and Court, arranging translation of marriage documents to enable divorce to proceed, advising whether English Court has jurisdiction.
- Separation – preparing separation agreements for married/same sex/co-habiting couples.
- Children – advising and acting for the parent with care or the absent parent/grandparents or other relatives, advising and acting for parents in connection with matters relating to the children, parental responsibility i.e. contact (previously known as access), residence (previously known as custody), specific issues and prohibited steps, child abduction, advising parents involved in care proceedings, representing clients at Court, personally or through a Barrister.
- Property – The Family Home - advising and acting for divorcing or separating couples, negotiating with other parties and their solicitors in connection with sorting out a financial settlement, to include what is to happen to the family home e.g. transfer of tenancy, sale of house, or whether to keep in trust until the children are older.
- Domestic Violence – advising and acting for either party, drafting relevant paperwork including Court applications, negotiating with other parties and their Solicitors, representing clients at Court, personally or through a Barrister.
Housing Advice:-
- Rent/mortgage repossessions – checking lawfulness of attempted eviction and advising client, negotiations with landlord, obtaining experts reports, representation at Court.
- Disrepair – advising client on possible action and likely outcomes, negotiations with landlord, obtaining experts reports, representation at Court.
- Transfers, allocations and homelessness – liaising with Local Authorities, advising clients on allocations/decisions on transfers, obtaining experts reports to establish clients priority need, challenging homeless decisions.
Immigration:-
- Advice on Home Office rules and policies and Immigration Law.
- Advice and assistance on all asylum applications/immigration cases.
- Advice on nationality issues.
- Advice on unmarried partner applications and domestic violence immigration issues with foreign nationals.
- Assistance throughout an asylum/immigration application, including visa applications for visitors, dependants, parents, children and other relatives.
- Representation/negotiation with the Home Office, Immigration Service, Immigration Appellate Authority, British High Commission/Embassies.
- Assistance with student applications.
- Advice and assistance for all European nationals, including A8 country and non EEA family members of EU.
- Community Law Service offers a Not for Profit Fee Paying Service for people who are not eligible for Legal Aid.
Employment Law:-
Debt Advice
Housing Advice
Immigration Law
Welfare Rights