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.

COVID-19 UPDATE: we are still considering cases for legal representation.

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.

Can you take on any case?

Our Centre is only able to take on a limited number of cases each year and we aim to take on those that will have a positive impact on access to justice for all women affected by gender-based violence. We focus on cases where there are barriers within the system that prevent women from accessing justice.

This means that we do not take on a lot of cases. In order to decide whether we can work 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.

There may be times when we do not have enough capacity to take on any new cases. If that is the case, we will mention it on this page.

Applying for legal representation through the SWRC

To apply for legal representation through us, please complete and submit the Take On Form at the bottom of this page. If you are supporting someone, you can also fill this form out for them.

What happens after I submit my form?

Once we have your form, we will get in touch with you by telephone within 1 week to get some more information about your situation. We will then consider all of the information we have and let you know whether we can help.

Important: If we can’t reach you by telephone, we will not be able to consider your case. If you have not heard from us within 1 week after submitting your form, please contact us on 0141 406 5350.

When will I receive an answer?

We will let you know whether we can help within 5 weeks of the date you submit the form to us unless you give us a reason why you need an answer sooner than that (for example, there's an urgent deadline in your case).

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.

Additional support

If we can’t help, our Advocacy Workers may be able to work with you to help you find another firm or organisation that can help. We will let you know whether we can offer this assistance to you.

Take On Form