Coram Children’s Legal Centre

Free Legal Information, Advice and Representation for Children, Young People and Families

Who It’s For: Children, young people, parents, carers and families across the UK needing free legal advice on education, family, child protection, immigration or housing law. Particularly relevant to families of children with SEND navigating school admissions, exclusions, EHCP disputes, local authority decisions and special educational provision. Also relevant to young people aged up to 25 seeking to understand their own legal rights.

What They Offer: Part of the Coram group of charities — one of the UK’s oldest children’s charities, founded in 1739 — Coram Children’s Legal Centre has been providing free legal advice on children’s rights since 1981. Their Child Law Advice Service (CLAS) is staffed by qualified lawyers and legal professionals with expertise in child, family and education law, providing free advice by telephone, email, webchat and through a comprehensive online information hub. For the most complex cases, they can provide casework support and legal representation. Their LawStuff website provides free legal information written specifically for children and young people.

Support Includes:

• Free telephone advice — separate lines for Family Law and Education Law matters (Mon–Fri 10am–4pm)
• Free email advice — via online contact forms for family and education law enquiries
• Comprehensive online information hub — free guides on education, family, child protection, immigration and housing law
• Education law advice — school admissions, exclusions, SEND, EHCPs, bullying and special educational provision
• Family law advice — separation and divorce, child contact, local authority intervention and child protection
• Community care and social services advice — rights to assessment and support
• Housing advice for young people experiencing homelessness or housing difficulties
• Individual casework support and legal representation for complex cases
• LawStuff — free legal information website written for children and young people
• Research and policy work to protect children’s rights in law

Referral / Access: Self-referral. No referral needed. Call the telephone advice line, email via the online contact forms, or use webchat — all free of charge. Telephone advice line open Monday–Friday 10am–4pm. Education Law line: 0300 330 5485. Family Law line: 0300 330 5480. Online resources available 24/7.

Why This Matters: When your child’s rights are being ignored — whether that is a refusal to assess for an EHCP, an unlawful school exclusion, or a local authority failing to provide what it has promised — knowing the law and how to use it can make all the difference. Coram Children’s Legal Centre puts qualified legal expertise directly in the hands of families who cannot afford a solicitor, in plain language, completely free of charge. For families who feel the system is working against them, this is exactly the kind of support that can turn things around.