The Personal Support Unit (PSU) was established in 2001 to provide non-legal practical
and emotional support to litigants in person or those who cannot afford
legal representation, witnesses, family members and other supporters. The PSU only appears in the civil courts, and the service is free,
confidential and independent.
Every day people appear at court for
hearings about matters which will have a dramatic impact on the rest of
their lives – including insolvency, eviction, debt, asylum, divorce and
contact with children. The courts are a daunting environment at the
best of times but for those attending these kinds of hearings alone,
without the benefit of a solicitor, it can be a bewildering experience.
If litigants are stressed and uneasy in court, they may struggle to
present their case effectively and this will inevitably impact on the
outcome of the hearing.
The PSU is an independent charity providing
practical information and emotional support to unrepresented litigants,
to help them get a fair hearing in the civil courts. The charity operates in
three courts in London – the Royal Courts of Justice, the Principal
Registry of the Family Division and Wandsworth County Court. The PSU also
provides a service at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, and Cardiff. For
those needing the PSU's services they may be contacted in the Wandsworth County
Court on 0208-333-4366 during office hours and on wandsworth@thepsu.org.uk.
October 28, 2011