Domestic Abuse Training for Solicitors (2 year + Refresher)

Please note that this training is only available to solicitors who have been on the SWRC solicitor sign posting network for 2 years or more. Attending this refresher will continue your access to our network of SWRC-approved solicitors.

Helen Hughes is a partner with Helen Hughes Family Law and is a specialist in Family Law, with particular expertise in cases involving domestic abuse. She has practiced in this area of law since 1987, past Chair of the Family Law Association, and has frequently been involved in consultations with the Scottish Government and SLAB on legal aid issues in family law and domestic abuse cases. Helen is editor and co-author of Domestic Abuse and Scots Law and a former editor of Greens Practice Styles. She is a member of the advisory board of the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre and is also a mediator accredited by the Law Society of Scotland. Helen is currently the Chair of CALM. She regularly provides training to solicitors and the public sector on family law, mediation and issues arising in domestic abuse cases.

Supporting your client.

o Understanding the impact of trauma on the brain - This part of the training will be delivered by Ann Hayne, who is the Gender-Based Violence Manager at NHS Lanarkshire and responsible for running a specialist trauma focused service for Women who have experienced abuse.

o Understanding how an Advocacy worker can assist your client - One of SWRC’s Advocacy workers will provide input on this & on referring your clients to local organisations for support or information resources

o Identifying coercive control in all its forms e.g. financial control and understanding trigger responses in clients.

o Looking at the latest research in connection with the impact of domestic abuse and the experience of survivors within the legal system. This will hopefully be conducted by Michelle Burman of Glasgow University who is on our Advisory Group.

Developing your understanding of the law- This part of the training will be delivered by Helen Hughes and will cover the following:

o How to ensure your pleadings support the orders you seek and explore style pleadings.

o Exploring effective oral submissions in Motions Hearings, Interim Hearings and Child Welfare Hearings.

o Practising your skills in mock opposed Motions Hearings on protective orders and contact.

o Developing a support network for you/your colleagues, including considering the impact of vicarious trauma and how to manage clients/explore when to stop acting for a client.

This workshop is for solicitors who have completed the 2-day Domestic Abuse Training, and have been on the SWRC Solicitor Sign Posting Network for two years plus

To continue to be on the SWRC Solicitor Signposting Network, we ask that all solicitors who have been on the network for 2 + years complete this refresher. With this being an in-person training session, the facility has a capacity for 18 spaces. If you are unable to attend or the event has sold out, please reach out to Reegan Bonar (Justice Training Worker at SWRC) at [email protected] to discuss options. You may be asked to attend a future 2-Day Domestic Abuse Training or offered a priority space at next year’s Refresher Training, date to be confirmed.

Accessibility

The session will take place in person at Weir Group at 1 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 1RW. The venue is a 4 minute walk from Glasgow Queen Street Station or 8 minutes from Glasgow Central Station. Parking is limited due to being in the City Centre. The venue is wheelchair accessible, and there are a number of food shops nearby for lunch options. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Weir Group, 1 West Regent Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom