• March 29, 2024
 Money Saving Expert Supports New Helpline For Litigants In Person

Money Saving Expert Supports New Helpline For Litigants In Person

Founder of website Money Saving Expert and award-winning journalist Martin Lewis has donated nearly £60,000 in aid of a new helpline that helps litigants in person in the family and civil courts.

The helpline, set up by charity Support Through Court, formerly the Personal Support Unit, who support people facing court along so “they have the very best chance of securing a just result before the Courts”. Volunteers of the charity will provide reassurance as well as practical help for free, and are conveniently based in 20 court buildings across England and Wales.

Eileen Pereira, Chief Executive of Support Through Court said:

“The helpline will go far in contributing directly to empowering more people who have to navigate the complex and stressful court system on their own.”

Following a successful four-month pilot last year, that saw 3,000 calls regarding various civil and family matters, the helpline will operate for five days a week from Birmingham City University’s law clinic.

The donation, by Martin Lewis, of £57,685 also saw funds from trusts and foundations, meaning that the helpline can now run for the next two years.

Martin Lewis, who is also patron of the charity, said at his time of joining:

“People are being forced to represent themselves, even though most have a very limited understanding of the court system and the law. That is not a properly functioning legal system, and it makes you question whether they will get justice, when it matters most.

“People need support and someone to stand by their side… Civil justice is not a well-known or popular cause, but the emotional and often financial toll on people facing court alone is significant…

“It is vital that those facing these extremely difficult situations receive guidance and support at a time of crisis.”

Commenting on his donation, he added;

“Too many people now go through court alone, without legal aid, leaving us with a deficit of justice. Support Through Court has done great work for many years, and I’m a big fan of helplines, so I am delighted to be involved in making this happen, as an efficient way to help more people get such crucial back-up.”

Natasha Harding

Having previously worked as a wedding photographer for 14 years, a change in family circumstances gave me a taste for family law, particularly in divorce, child custody and especially parental alienation.

I am now doing an LLM in Legal Practise with the aim to work within the legal industry, specialising in family law.

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