About us
What we do and who we are
Richmond Legal Advice Service (RLAS) aim is to provide clients with initial and basic legal advice and assistance where the legal advice is provided by volunteers who are qualified lawyers (see below on what is meant by a “qualified lawyer”).RLAS has been operating for more than 50 years.
This web site provides information about who we are and what we do. In addition, we have prepared an information leaflet for clients which can be downloaded.
There is a continuing need for our service, especially with the restriction on the availabiltlity of legal aid (as well as its withdrawal in some areas of law)) making it harder and harder for clients to have access to qualified lawyers without paying substantial hourly rates.RLAS exists to advise regardless of creed, colour, sex, politics or how much you may earn.
We are a registered charity (our charity number is 1094365) and are registered with the Information Commissioner for data protection purposes (registration number Z1633133).
How we are funded
RLAS receives no income (we neither ask for, or accept, any payments, donations, gifts or fees from clients).
RLAS can only operate because of grants we receive from local charities.
In 2007 and 2008 we have received generous support from the Richmond Parish Lands Charity, which has allowed us to pay our running expenses, including paying for premises we use, professional indemnity insurance, registration with the Information Commissioners, the fee for registration of our domain name and the hosting of this web site, stationary, and some legal books.
Who provides the advice and assistance at RLAS?
All advice and assistance obtained by clients from RLAS is provided by volunteers who are qualified lawyers. RLAS' volunteers do not receive, and will not accept, any payment for the advice they give. RLAS' volunteers will also not accept referrals from clients (ie a RLAS volunteer will not be allowed to take on a client s/he has seen at a RLAS advice session as a paying client).What is a meant by a volunteer being a qualified lawyer?: When RLAS states that advice and assistance is given by a qualified lawyer, we mean that only the following will do so:
- a solicitor (who has completed their training contract and has been admitted as a solicitor)
- a trainee solicitor
- a barrister (who has been called to the bar and has completed their pupillage)
- a barrister who have been called to the bar (whether or not they have a pupillage) .