Education law

Organisations providing free legal advice




Advice relating to schools

To find a solicitor who specialises in education law:

  • Gov.UK legal aid lawyers search engine
    This is a directory of all solicitors with a legal aid contract around the country – enter the town or postcode and tick “education”.

  • Chambers & Partners Directory
    For the most highly regarded solicitors search the Chambers and Partners Directory of top ranked firms and individuals doing a search on UK ‘Education: Individuals’.

Cases involving safeguarding in school for girls who have been subject to sexual harassment or reported sexual offences may come within discrimination law, or public law, rather than education law.

For initial legal advice legal aid is usually assessed on the parents’ financial means.

If you live with a partner, their finances will also be assessed as part of yours. If an application is made to court legal aid is then assessed on the child’s own financial means, so most children will qualify. Where legal aid is not available for initial advice some solicitors will charge privately until legal aid can be obtained later on if there is a court application.

Advice relating to universities

Very few solicitors have specialist expertise in cases involving sexual harassment or sexual assault at universities. CWJ may be able to recommend a suitable solicitor.

Legal aid may be available from a firm with a legal aid contract for discrimination law. To find a solicitor who specialises in discrimination law:

You will need to qualify financially for legal aid. There is a legal aid eligibility checker that members of the public can use, follow the link for ‘discrimination law’. If you have a partner you live with, their finances will also be assessed as part of yours.

“No win no fee” agreement

In some cases if your claim is clearly strong, you may be able to find a solicitor to take the case on a “no win no fee” for a case in the County Court. However you may still have to pay for court fees, expert fees and other fees which are not for the legal work. If a solicitor agrees to take a case on this basis they will explain the arrangements to you.

Many sexual harassment or sexual assault claims are only for a personal injury, such as assault and psychiatric damage, and in this case you are protected from having to pay the other side’s costs if you lose, under special rules that apply only to personal injury claims. This enables your solicitor to represent you more easily than in other “no win no fee” cases.

Where students seek help from a lawyer for a grievance or complaints procedure, or disciplinary procedure, this cannot be done on a “no win no fee” agreement. Some solicitors may do this for free or a reduced fee alongside a County Court claim, or the student will have to pay privately.

 

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