Family solicitors volunteer advice to School-Home Support practitioners in London

In February, solicitors from Miles & Partners in London volunteered at a legal workshop for School-Home Support’s Pro Bono Project in London.

School-Home Support is an organisation that works with schools, local authorities and other children’s settings, to provide support to children and families, tackling the underlying barriers to a successful education, and to improve the life chances of children. It has been an essential service for many families during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The workshop, organised by law firm Sidley Austin, was designed to provide School-Home Support practitioners with information and advice to identify legal issues typically found in the families they support, such as housing problems, concerns about money, and difficulties with family relationships.

Rajea Sultana, an associate solicitor in our housing team, gave a presentation on the key housing issues which affect children and their education, including:

• overcrowding;
• poor living conditions;
• tenants’ rights against their landlord; and
• evictions or possession for secure or assured shorthold tenancies.

Harriet Brame and Thomas Lane, solicitors in our family law department, also gave a presentation on common family law issues, such as contact with children or custody disputes, domestic abuse or harassment. They also highlighted what legal aid funding is available and alternative methods of dispute resolution.

Click here to find out more about School-Home Support.

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.