Gloucestershire law firm, WSP Solicitors, is launching a new family law and legal aid support service for the Forest of Dean, to improve access to legal services for people living in rural areas.
WSP has offices in Gloucester and Stroud, but has reported a 62 per cent increase in cases from people living outside the region's major cities and towns over the last year.
According to Gloucestershire County Council, Gloucestershire has a significantly larger than average rural population, with 28 per cent of the county's residents living in rural communities, compared to 17 per cent across the rest of the country.
WSP's new service aims to improve Forest of Dean residents' access to specialist family law services and legal aid assistance, without having to travel away from home.
Heading up the new family law service is senior associate Lydia Andrews. She said: 'Gloucestershire is a largely rural county and accessing professional family law advice or wider support is not always straightforward.
'For instance, there are currently no law firms in the Forest of Dean offering legal aid to residents and people are having to travel to find this support.
'By having a stronger footing in the local area, providing access to legal aid support to those who are eligible and with fixed fees and pay-as-you-go on some of our services, we hope to remove the barriers that can prevent people from seeking early legal advice.'
The firm is offering legal aid assistance to qualifying clients across care proceedings, child arrangements, adoption, domestic abuse, social guardianship, and social services involvement, as well as fixed-fee advice on divorce, separation and cohabitation disputes.
It has also seen an increase in demand from clients with neurodivergence, learning difficulties, addiction, mental health struggles, or experience of domestic abuse, meaning providing a safe and comfortable environment to discuss these issues is even more important.
Lydia added: 'Our highly-trained and experienced team use a trauma-informed and neurodiversity-informed approach to support our clients throughout. With more vulnerable and neurodivergent clients coming to us for help, we recognise that legal support cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach.
'Whether that means using everyday language, adapting how we communicate, or meeting them in a space that is more familiar to them, we tailor our service around each client’s needs.
'When someone is facing issues around separation, child arrangements, care proceedings or sensitive cases involving domestic abuse, being able to speak to someone locally and in a safe environment can make a real difference.'
Access to WSP's new service is available at Vantage Point Business Village in Mitcheldean by appointment only – for more information, and to book, visit WSP Solicitors' website or call 01594 723049.
