Our Vision

We are the largest Law Centre in the UK. We provide specialist legal advice to people across Central England.

We want to live in a society where people’s rights are upheld, their needs met and they are enabled to thrive.

What we do

We provide free specialist legal advice to those most in need and use legal processes to fight social exclusion. We advocate for people, challenge unfair decisions, take cases to the highest courts and work in partnerships with other support services.

As well as helping people move from crisis to stability, we deliver services that help people anticipate problems by acting early and tackling the root cause.

“I thought there was no way out ....until you took on my problem, and now I have got my life back on track.”

How we do it

Provide free specialist legal advice and representation in Birmingham and Coventry to people who cannot afford to pay for it in the following areas of social welfare law:

Social Care and Health	Welfare Benefits
Housing	Public Law
Debt	Employment
Family	Immigration and Asylum

Make our services easily accessible to those who need them most - in person, by phone, in people’s homes and online.

Increase people's knowledge of legal rights and build confidence and ability to manage day to day issues that have a legal solution.

Support other organisations that work with vulnerable people, by providing advice, information and training to their staff and volunteers, blending our work with theirs so that together we can offer more holistic support to people.

We work to create a more equal society by changing the law and influencing policy at a local and national level providing a voice for those who are seldom heard and using legal practice to change the law by pursuing cases that have a wider public interest. We work inside public sector services to help find new, more effective ways to deliver them that uphold people’s rights.

Our guiding values

These are the values and principles that guide us and ensure we never lose sight of what we are trying to achieve:

We provide specialist, high quality legal advice that is free
Clients are treated with honesty and respect
We are independent and politically neutral
We build confidence and legal capability that helps people act early to tackle their problems
Working in partnerships will further our aims and complement our skills
We are evidence driven and impact focused
We innovate to meet changing needs and emerging problems
We are a team - we use all of our expertise and skills together to get the best outcome for our clients

Latest

Benefits for EEA Nationals - Birmingham - both dates must be attended

Note this comprises 2 half days - Friday 12th July, 9.30am to 1pm and Wednesday 17th July 2019, 1.30pm to 5pm. This course looks at the rules regarding benefits for EEA nationals – we will consider residence rules, including the Habitual Residence Test and Right to Reside Rules. We will also consider derivative rights and family membership and offer practical tips on making a successful benefit claim. Only £90.00 plus VAT per person for both sessions.
Challenging Decisions - Birmingham

Led by a welfare benefits legal advisor, this course will examine the way that welfare benefit decisions may be challenged. We will consider the process of challenging a benefit decision, considering a Mandatory Reconsideration initially and also how to lodge and prepare for an appeal at the First Tier Tribunal. Only £45.00 plus VAT per person
ESA and Work Capability Assessments - Coventry

Led by a Welfare Benefits Legal Advisor, this course will provide an introduction to ESA including New Style ESA. The course will also look in details at the work capability assessment process used in both ESA and UC. We will look at the points system and tactics to maximise the chances of a successful outcome to an ESA assessment. Only £45+vat per person.
Maximising Income for people on Universal Credit Training - Coventry

Led by a Welfare Benefits legal advisor, this course will look at how people on Universal Credit can maximise their income. We will examine key routes for doing this and when you can challenge decisions to achieve this. You will obtain top tips and information you can use from day 1 to support your clients to make Universal Credit work for them. Only £45+vat per person.

Contact Us
Who we help

We provide free legal advice to those most in need and use legal processes to fight social exclusion.
Work for us

Join our team and be part of a cutting edge team using the law to fight social exclusion in society.
Volunteer

The Law Centre is a resource for the whole community and we rely on our amazing team of volunteers help us reach more people with our services.
Our Vision

We want to live in a society where people’s rights are upheld, their needs met and they are enabled to thrive. We are the largest Law Centre in the UK. We provide free specialist legal advice to people across central England.
Child and Family Law

Following the breakdown of a relationship, we provide advice and representation on all aspects of family and childcare law.
Asylum and Immigration Law

Legal advice and representation to people seeking to regularise their immigration status.
Funding

The work we do is only possible because of the support we receive from a wide range of partners and supporters.
Our history

The national Law Centre movement was started in the 1970s by radical lawyers who were disappointed in the failure of the welfare state to eradicate poverty and deliver a more equal society. Coventry Law Centre was founded in 1976 by four Councillors: Tom McLatchie, Gilbert Richards, Arthur Waugh Senior and Charles Ward. Coventry City Council has been a key supporter of our work ever since.
Chief Executive - Sue Bent