Karis Jones, solicitor, with Andrew Sims, administration and project support, Recovery Cymru meeting with a Recovery Cymru member.
Howells Solicitors will be providing their legal expertise free of charge to members of recovery Cymru, a self help, mutual support community for people recovering from drug and alcohol problems in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Karis Jones, part of Howells' team of solicitors in Cardiff, a family law specialist from Howells Solicitors will be attending the Cowbridge Road East office of the not for profit organisation every other month to meet members seeking legal advice regarding children matters.
Due to the significant changes in Legal Aid funding and the quality of advice being provided, the first clinic earlier this month proved to be very popular. Karis explains: “When we were approached by Recovery Cymru and learned about the support services they provide, we were keen to help and agreed to run free legal clinics for their members.
"Unfortunately the changes to the allocation of Legal Aid has made it often impossible for everyone to seek legal advice in respect to family matters. These clinics help those in a vulnerable position and the advice provided has been appreciated.”
Sarah Vaile, founder and director of Recovery Cymru, has welcomed Howells' offer. She said: “We are delighted to welcome Howells Solicitors to Recovery Cymru and our members are grateful for the advice they can offer. Many of our members face barriers to accessing support with family law issues, including low confidence, negative past experiences, and the changes in legal help/aid have further exacerbated these barriers.
"It has also been a source of confusion and worry for our members. A significant proportion of our members have children with whom there are contact and residence issues. Due to the often difficult situations they find themselves in, they are particularly vulnerable and dealing with statutory agencies like Social Services and the Courts can feel like a very daunting prospect.
"The clinics will provide our members with the opportunity to speak to a legal professional for support, advice and possible referral to approach these issues. The first clinic proved to be very popular and I’m sure that as more of our members find out about it there will be further demand.”
