This legal training equips solicitors with key knowledge of domestic abuse and the law, and the ability to identify and support clients who have experienced domestic abuse.
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
• Identify the key issues that arise when providing legal advice to women, children and families who have experienced domestic abuse
• Explain the law and apply the appropriate procedure for seeking protective orders
• Explain and apply the private law procedures for safeguarding children where domestic abuse is alleged
• Effectively engage with other issues that arise in child contact and residence cases where domestic abuse is alleged
• Reflect on your understanding of, and current practice in, working with women, children and families who have experienced domestic abuse.
The workshop is designed for solicitors, advocates and other legal professionals working with women and children who have experienced domestic abuse. It may also be of interest to professionals such as advocacy workers, social workers, and the police, who support women, children and families through these legal processes.
If you are a solicitor who has been qualified for fewer than two years, we instead recommend completing our specialist newly-qualified solicitor training. Please check our website for future dates.
SWRC Approved Domestic Abuse Training
This training session forms one of two parts of the SWRC’s Approved Domestic Abuse Training for Solicitors.
Completion of the entire course gives you the opportunity to join the SWRC Solicitor Signposting Network which survivors use to find solicitors with specialist knowledge and awareness of domestic abuse. Women are directed to the signposting network from our helplines and surgeries, and it is one of the most visited pages on the SWRC website.
Our other module covers domestic abuse legislation and trauma-informed practice, and you can find more information and future dates on our website.
Discount Code
When you sign up to one module, you will receive a discount code which you can use to book the other for £50.
Facilitators
Helen Hughes is a partner with Helen Hughes Family Law and is a specialist in Family Law, with particular expertise in cases involving domestic abuse.
She has practiced in this area of law since 1987, past Chair of the Family Law Association, and has frequently been involved in consultations with the Scottish Government and SLAB on legal aid issues in family law and domestic abuse cases.
Helen is editor and co-author of Domestic Abuse and Scots Law and a former editor of Greens Practice Styles.
She is a member of the advisory board of the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre and is also a mediator accredited by the Law Society of Scotland.
Helen is currently the Chair of CALM. She regularly provides training to solicitors and the public sector on family law, mediation, and issues arising from domestic abuse cases.
Accessibility
The session will take place virtually on Zoom. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us on reegan.bonar@rapecrisisscotland.org.uk
Maintaining Solicitor Signposting Membership
In order to maintain on our solicitor signposting network, each solicitor is required to complete our Refresher training every two years. Failure to complete the refresher training will result in you being removed from our network.
