FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors)

An independent legal support service to help protect women against domestic abuse. A network of domestic abuse experts provide advice, support and guidance to support women to protect themselves from violence, gain court orders, access legal aid and navigate court processes.
Part of the project is the award winning CourtNav tool. This has simplified the Court application for a Non-Molestation / Occupation Order. Women who are eligible for Legal Aid will be signposted to a local specialist Legal Aid solicitor who will represent them. Anyone who is not eligible for Legal Aid or who cannot pay any contribution will be assisted by the FLOWS team so that their application has had legal input before the survivor has to submit it to Court.
FLOWS is a national project with a Family Law solicitor based at the North East Law Centre. Her role is to promote the project locally, support women to evidence their legal-aid entitlement, access legal advice from qualified solicitors, or to secure pro-bono legal advice.
For more information about the project please contact vicci@nelawcentre.co.uk
 

There have been some exciting changes as the project grows

• We are now able to HELP ANY GENDER not only women
• The award winning CourtNav tool to help complete the application for Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders is now available to anybody in England and Wales and there is a link to it on the HMCTS webpage.
• New information website has been launched - SupportNav includes information about other areas of life that survivors may be anxious about for example immigration, housing and children.   SupportNav | Support against domestic abuse
• The FLOWS Forum continues to hold regular online Q&A sessions where you can ask questions to solicitors from Rights of Women.  They have an exclusive event for forum members with the DA Commissioner Nicole Jacobs at 11.00 am on Monday 12 December 2022.  To check if you are eligible to join the forum and take part please visit FLOWS Forum for Professionals | FLOWS

The FLOWS team is based in London but I am here in the North East to promote the project and raise awareness across the country.  If you would like more information or a reminder of how we can help please get in touch. I can meet you online or in real life and I may have a few FLOWS goodies left if we get to meet in person!  Following our meeting if you would like to sign as a FLOWS partner your organisation can be added to the map of local services to help survivors find you.  If your organisation is planning any events I can also attend with FLOWS information.

There is no charge to survivors for the work we do to help them.  We will always try and find them a specialist local Legal Aid solicitor but if they don't qualify for Legal Aid the FLOWS team can support and advise FREE OF CHARGE.  Feedback from survivors is very positive and we are helping more and more survivors each month as more people find us.