
NEW DUTY ADVOCATE SCHEME
CALA is delighted to introduce a pro bono Duty Advocate Scheme. This is a signposting service with the generous assistance of members firms. Please see the rota below;
The scheme is open to solicitors, and we are exploring the possibility of counsel being involved, potentially on the basis of being instructed by a CALA Member under this Scheme.
If you are interested in joining the new duty advocate scheme. Please email CALA at enquiries@childabductionlawyers.org.uk
If you are a litigant in person and wish to speak with a specialist on our new duty scheme please email the solicitors on the schedule that week.
Duty Advocate Scheme: Rota and General Information
Rota: August 2023 to April 2024
Week commencing | Firm | Contact details | Additional Languages at the firm |
---|---|---|---|
21st August 2023 | Charles Strachan | Pam Sanghera Pam@charlesstrachan.com
07377449939 | Punjabi, Hindi, Yoruba, Pidgin, French |
28th August 2023 | TV Edwards | Sarah Inchley
Sarah.Inchley@tvedwards.com 02034408158 | Armenian, Russian, Sylheti, Bengali, Farsi, Swedish, Italian and Finnish |
4th September 2023 | Sills & Betteridge | Chrystal Thefanous CTheofanous@sillslegal.co.uk
07557850212 | |
11th September 2023 | Duncan Lewis | Helen Newman helenn@duncanlewis.com 07920077038
Adeeba Naseem Adeeban@Duncanlewis.com 07920 077039 | |
18th September 2023 | Wilson LLP | Amna Khaliq a.khaliq@wilsonllp.co.uk
020 8885 7986 | Urdu |
25th September 2023 | Jones Myers | Anthony Parrish Anthony.parrish@jonesmyers.co.uk
0113 380 4585 | |
2nd October 2023 | International Family Law Group | James Netto james.netto@iflg.uk.com 0203 178 5668 | Greek, Spanish, French, German, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Italian, Romanian, Polish |
9th October 2023 | A L Associates | Ms Amanjit Lalli
amanjit@al-lawassociates.com 07342301403 | Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu |
16th October 2023 | Blackfords | Linda Lusingu
linda.lusingu@blackfords.com 07785474149 | Swahili |
23rd October 2023 | Brethertons | Simon Craddock simoncraddock@brethertons.co.uk
01295 661430 | Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Japanese, Polish |
30th October 2023 | Dawson Cornwell | Forum Shah Forum.Shah@dawsoncornwell.com 020 7242 2556 | Spanish, German, French, Italian, Polish, Russian, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Swedish, Turkish, Azerbaijani |
6th November 2023 | London Family Solicitor | Rahana Nargis
rn@london-family-solicitor.co.uk Natalie Friday Natalie.Friday@london-family- solicitor.co.uk
020 3865 1535 | |
13th November 2023 | Bindmans | Marianna Michaelides marianna.michaelides@bindmans.com
020 7833 4433 | |
20th November 2023 | Goodman Ray | Janet Broadley janetbroadley@goodmanray.com
Kevin Skinner
KevinSkinner@goodmanray.com 020 7608 1227 | |
27th November 2023 | Venters | Carly Fiander
Carly.Fiander@venters.co.uk 01737 229 610 | |
4th December 2023 | Freemans | Nina Hansen nh@freemanssolicitors.net
020 7935 3522 | |
11th December 2023 | Campbell Hooper & Co | Stephen W. Aldred SA@campbellhooperco.co.uk T: 01344 622141
M: 07818 795 577 | |
18th December 2023 | Philcox Gray & Co | Lucy Verity lv@philcoxgray.co.uk
07961416298 | |
(Christmas break) | |||
8th January 2024 | Passmores Solicitors | Charmaine Earley
cm@passmores.com 01446 721000 | |
15th January 2024 | MSB Solicitors | Emma Palmer emmapalmer@msbsoliciotors.co.uk 07388990362 | |
22nd January 2024 | Osbornes Law | Lauren Hall lauren.hall@osborneslaw.com
020 3089 2294 | |
29th January 2024 | Ben Hoare Bell | Cris McCurley crismccurley@benhoarebell.co.uk 0191 275 2626
07896 676154 | Cantonese, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi |
5th February 2024 | LDJ Solicitors | Gemma Kelsey gemma.kelsey@ldjsolicitors.co.uk DD: (024)76 745024
Mobile: 07731 373 468 | Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi. |
12th February 2024 | Russell Cooke | Natasha Kirk natasha.kirk@russell-cooke.co.uk Mobile: +44 (0)7721 129 366
Mae Al-Omari
Mae.Al-Omari@russell-cooke.co.uk | |
19th February 2024 | J I Solicitors | John Itsagwede John@itsagwede.co.uk
020 7732 8750 | |
26th February 2024 | Best Solicitors | Martyn Wood
martynwood@bestsolicitorsonline.co.uk 01142283519 | |
4th March 2024 | Williams and Co | Naomi Yeshua naomi.yeshua@lawlegal.co.uk
0208 952 8882 | |
11th March 2024 | RWK Goodman | Ursula Danagher
T: 0207 583 2222 (DDI)
T: 0207 797 6301
M: 07584 602 875 ursula.danagher@rwkgoodman.com | Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu |
18th March 2024 | Moore Barlow | Laura White laura.white@moorebarlow.com 023 8071 8000 |
Information for users of the Duty Advocate Schemes
What the Scheme entails
The purpose of the Scheme is for solicitors to provide assistance and advice to litigants in international proceedings, initially on a pro bono basis. We suggest
this can include:
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Providing advice before, during and after hearings;
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Representing a client at a hearing, including undertaking the advocacy at a hearing at your discretion;
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Liaising with and instructing counsel if you so decide (who will also appear on a pro bono basis);
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Assessing the client for legal aid and exploring alternative funding options with them;
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Signposting the client on for support or other assistance, including with embassies, legal charities, other sources of advice, and mediators (specifically Reunite).
There is no obligation to go on court record, nor to provide continuous advice to a client. We would hope that firms will assist where they can, for as long as they feel comfortable. All we ask is that solicitors do what they can to assist clients and the court by advising those who approach the Scheme. It may involve assisting at short notice, perhaps by telephone, or by video call, or indeed in person.
CALA’s Role and who the Scheme is aimed at
CALA will play no role in instruction of solicitors or counsel, or indeed in relation to the provision of any assistance or advice; we act as a pro bono signposting service, connecting litigants in person with specialist solicitors. As such, each firm of solicitors is obliged to follow their own professional duties and obligations, including insurance, provision of advice, client care, and complaints handling – as is the case with other Duty Solicitor Schemes. You may wish to consider the Law Society’s Practice Note, “Court duty scheme for private law family clients” (https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/topics/family-and-children/court-duty- scheme-for-private-law-family-clients ). Solicitors may also wish to consider how you provide this information to enquiries that come through the Duty Advocate Scheme.
CALA cannot vet or guarantee any advice, but by signing up to this Scheme, you confirm your firm holds specialist Resolution accreditation in child abduction and/or hold the relevant expertise in this specific area of law. Each firm is responsible for their own advice under this Scheme; CALA plays no role in the provision of this advice.
This Scheme is aimed at helping litigants in person, in any shape or form, in proceedings in the High Court. They may be respondents to abduction proceedings, unaware of their ability to obtain legal aid. They may be applicants attending court in person, unaware of how to proceed with international cases. They may be summoned to attend a hearing, or detained by the Tipstaff and held in the cells. We do not seek to limit who can access this service – we simply seek to assist them and point them in the right direction wherever possible.
For any further enquiries, please contact CALA on: james.netto@iflg.uk.com
Thank you