Many law centres rely on legal aid funding to survive. Devastating cuts to legal aid, especially in the last few years, have meant many centres have had to close. 

Not only does the closure of a law centre have a significant impact due to the loss of the day to day case work that was carried out within it, but it also makes it harder for law firms to provide pro bono services. 

Law firms often rely on legal advice centres to facilitate their provision of pro bono advice. Law centres administer and refer members of the public to specialists lawyers acting pro bono. For example, Capsticks has a long and strong relationship with South West London Law Centres (SWLLC). We provide free legal advice at a SWLLC clinic every Tuesday evening in Wimbledon. Without SWLLC, this service would simply not be possible. 

Half of all law centres and not-for-profit legal advice services in England and Wales have closed over the past six years, according to government figures