Bryony Spicer, a student volunteer at the family law clinic
James Chapman, student volunteer with the law clinics
A team of law students at the University of Sussex have re-opened their award winning free legal advice clinic to members of the public. People in need of family law advice can now access the family law clinic, virtually.
Under normal circumstances the family law clinic is run at the University of Sussex campus with members of the public booking slots to meet the students face to face, under the supervision of a solicitor. With social distancing measures in place, and recognising there may be a pressing need for legal advice on family law matters at the moment, the team are now taking bookings on Wednesdays for online consultations.
Dr John Jupp, from the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex, is the director of the family law clinic. He has previously worked as a family solicitor in Sussex. He said:
"The pressures of lockdown are putting families under great strain and for some this may sadly be a breaking point. For others, long standing family problems have become urgent. We decided to re-open the family law clinic using online video technology to offer our expertise to help people in these situations. I, and other local legal professionals, oversee a team of brilliant law students who are really keen to use the skills they're learning to help people.
