About our domestic abuse service
If you are currently experiencing domestic abuse, you may be able to get a court order to protect you (and your children) from your abuser. We can offer you a free appointment with an experienced solicitor to discuss whether this would be right for you.
We can explain how injunctions such as non-molestation and occupation orders work, and we can signpost you to legal aid solicitors if appropriate. If you are not eligible for legal aid and you need support to make a court application, we may be able to help with that too. We can also provide a volunteer to attend court hearings with you (subject to availability).
Our advisers are local solicitors who give their time for free, and we have a team of trained volunteer law students who help to run the service.
Do you need urgent help
If you are in immediate danger, you should always call 999. If it is not safe for you to speak, press 55 when prompted to indicate to the call handler that it is not safe for you to speak.
Call Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free and in confidence, 24 hours a day: 0808 2000 247.
Call Victim Support’s free and 24-hour support line now on 08 08 16 89 111.
What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse isn’t just physical violence. It might involve threatening behaviour, emotional or psychological abuse, controlling behaviour, financial abuse or sexual abuse. If your relationship doesn’t seem healthy and respectful, reach out for advice and support.
Domestic abuse can affect anyone
It doesn’t matter whether you’re old or young, male or female, cis or trans, black, brown or white, gay, straight or bi – anyone can find themselves in an abusive relationship. We can help, no matter who you are.
How can we help you?
- I’ve never told anyone about this before, where do I start?
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We know that it’s not easy to talk about domestic abuse. Our staff are very experienced and will listen to you with sensitivity and kindness. We will explain your options to you, but we won’t force you to take any steps you’re not comfortable with. If we believe you are in danger we may refer you to NIDAS for a risk assessment. Remember, it’s not your fault if somebody is abusing you.
- What information will I need to give?
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To begin with we need your full name, your postcode and a safe way to contact you. We also ask for the name and date of birth of the person abusing you. Don’t worry, we will never get in touch with them – we just need their details so that we know who’s involved in your case. Solicitors’ rules mean they can’t give advice without having this information. When we speak to you we will also ask for some brief details about the abuse you’re experiencing. The solicitor may have more questions during your appointment, but we will handle these as sensitively as possible.
- Will everything I tell you be confidential?
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Yes, absolutely. We know that domestic abuse is a very sensitive topic and we will treat your information with the utmost respect. Our staff and volunteers have a strict code of confidentiality and we will never disclose any information that you give us without your permission. The only reason for breaking this code is if we believe that you or someone else is about to come to serious harm – in that case we may inform the Norfolk safeguarding team, your GP or the police.
- Can you help me get a legal aid solicitor?
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If you have experienced domestic abuse and you are on a low income, you may be able to get legal aid. Firstly, find out whether you’re eligible – click here to check. If you are, contact one of the firms who provide legal aid in Norfolk – see here for the Legal Aid list. If no solicitor in Norfolk is able to take your case, you can ask a firm in another part of England or Wales – click here to find one. If you still cannot find anybody to take your case, we can help you to represent yourself – but we can’t provide a legal aid solicitor to represent you.
- I’m worried about the effect the abuse is having on my children, can you advise me about that?
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The law recognises children as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. However if your question is primarily about your children, we may triage you into our Free Legal Advice service rather than our domestic abuse service.
- The person abusing me is not my partner, can I still get advice?
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Domestic abuse includes current or former intimate partners, and also family members aged 16 or over. If your relationship does not fall into these categories, we may refer you to a different service for advice.
- I have a solicitor but they’re not getting back to me, can you answer my questions?
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Unfortunately if you already have a solicitor, we cannot offer you advice. You need to ask your own solicitor. If you terminate your agreement with them then we may be able to advise you, but you should think very carefully before doing this.
What we can’t help with
We cannot act as your legal representative and we are not allowed to speak for you in court or sign any documents on your behalf. Our service is not the same as having your own solicitor. If you are not eligible for legal aid (see here) we encourage you to instruct a solicitor if you can possibly afford it.
We cannot assist clients where a conflict of interest check reveals that we have advised the other party in the case.
Make an appointment
The easiest way to provide us with your information is to fill in the form below. Please note filling in a form does not guarantee that you will be given an appointment, but it will help us to assess whether your issue is something we can advise on. We will let you know if we cannot help.
Appointments can be held:
On Teams
In person
On the phone
If you are unable to fill in the form for any reason or would prefer to contact us in another way, please do not hesitate to do so.
Call us:
01603 496623
Email us:
info@ncls.co.uk
WhatsApp us:
07900 153753
What’s next
Step 1:
An initial call from our team
We’ll contact you as soon as possible. We’ll take some more details and arrange a free appointment to speak to a solicitor with experience of helping with domestic abuse.
Step 2:
Solicitor advice
Our solicitor will listen and advise the best course of action. If they think you are eligible for legal aid they’ll explain what you need to do. If you need more help, we’ll contact you to make a further appointment.
Step 3:
Help at court
If you have to go to court, as part of our McKenzie Friend scheme we can provide a volunteer to go with you and support you through the process (subject to availability).
Do you need extra support?
We’re here to help everyone access legal advice.
I can face the future with hope and optimism. I should also say conversations were often filled with laughter as well as tears. Without this organisation in Norfolk many of us would be left without any help at a terrible and frightening time of our lives. NCLS is capable of great things!
Useful resources
Our partnership with NIDAS
We work closely with NIDAS, which provides support to people looking to break free from domestic abuse in Norfolk. To contact them for confidential advice and support call 0300 561 0555, or visit their website below.
You can also get information from Rights of Women, a link to their website is here.
If you have been affected by domestic abuse and/or violence and would like to talk to a counsellor or psychotherapist in your area visit counselling-directory.org.uk.
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