Legal representation - Take on process
You may wish to apply for representation if you need to be represented in court or other proceedings, or if you need in-depth legal advice or assistance beyond what we can offer in a helpline call or advice surgery appointment.
Take On is currently open on a restricted basis due to capacity. To access it, please contact our helpline or arrange a surgery appointment.
Who does SWRC represent?
Our Centre represent women aged 16 and over who are or have been affected by gender-based violence and need legal advice or representation as a result of their experience.
Who provides the legal representation?
Legal advice and representation is provided by JustRight Scotland LLP through the SWRC. This means that, if we take your case on for legal representation, you will become a client of JustRight Scotland.
Applying for legal representation through the SWRC
To apply for legal representation from us, please contact our SWRC helpline to speak to one of our experienced advocacy workers. They will take some details from you, and if your situation falls within the scope of our work, they will either arrange for a member of our legal team to call you, or set up a legal surgery appointment with one of our solicitors. Our legal team will then assess your case and determine if appropriate for our legal take on process.
What is the take on process?
Once you have spoken to one of our solicitors, we will then consider all of the information we have about your case and let you know whether we can help.
Important: If we can’t reach you by telephone or email, we will not be able to consider your case. If you have accessibility issues which would prevent us from contacting you please let us know.
Can you take on any case?
Our Centre is only able to take on a limited number of cases each year. We prioritise cases that will have a positive impact on access to justice for all women affected by gender-based violence. We also focus on cases where there are barriers within the system that prevent women from accessing justice.
- This means that we cannot take on many cases. In deciding whether we can take on your case, we will think about whether your case will have a wider impact on access to justice, and
- whether there are systemic barriers to accessing justice that we can address by working on your case.
Even if your case will have wider impact, there will be times when we do not have enough capacity to take on any new cases. When that is the case, we will mention it on this page.
When will I receive an answer?
We will let you know whether we can help within a maximum of 5 weeks of the date you speak to one of our solicitors. If you require an answer sooner than that (for example, there's an urgent deadline in your case) we will do our best to get an answer to you as soon as is possible.
Please note however that sometimes we will not be able to give you an answer quickly. If you need urgent help, we may have to recommend that you find alternative legal representation.
Finding alternative representation
If you need urgent help, we may have to recommend that you find alternative legal representation.
The SWRC runs Approved Domestic Abuse Training for Solicitors. This training introduces solicitors to domestic abuse legislation in Scotland and good practice for working with people who have experienced domestic abuse.
While our Centre is unable to give recommendations of other solicitors, you can find a list of solicitors who have completed the SWRC Approved Domestic Abuse Training here:
https://www.scottishwomensrightscentre.org.uk/support-find-solicitor/
