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Court support service launches in Exeter
Court support service launches in Exeter
By District Judge John Collins
A new Exeter based support service for litigants was launched by a national charity on 19 April 2016.
The Personal Support Unit (PSU) is a charity with trained volunteers providing help to people who do not have legal representation, assisting in civil and family court cases. It operates in courts across England and Wales including its new base at Exeter Combined Court, in Southernhay Gardens. The life-changing issues PSU helps with include contact with children, divorce, eviction and money claims.
The charity will benefit from the assistance of the University of Exeter Law School, with students signed up to volunteer their time and skills in order to help the PSU meet the demand. Student volunteers will be joined by volunteers recruited from the local community in South Devon to provide the service. Since opening on 11 January this year the charity has helped over 120 clients and it predicts these numbers will continue to rise as people find out what it does.
The Exeter office is also receiving requests for help from Barnstable, Torquay, and Plymouth, and is exploring options to make the service available across Devon. This may include offering phone and Skype appointments to help people who would otherwise face the court system alone.
PSU volunteers provide:
• quality information and support;
• help people fill in court forms;
• discuss settling issues without going to court;
• organise court papers;
• explain how the court works;
• help people plan what they want to say when they go into court;
• go into court with clients,
• take notes and assist after hearings;
• provide details of other specialist agencies.
The service is available Monday to Friday on the second floor of the Exeter Combined Court, from 9:30-4:30, and they can usually help enquirers straight away. You can also book an appointment by contacting:
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