Wiktoria’s Story

Hear from a final year law student as she shares insights and lessons gained through volunteering.

Hi! I’m Wiktoria and I am a final year law student and Queen Mary, University of London. This year I will begin a postgraduate law degree at BPP University studying for LLM & SQE in Commercial Law. I intend to go into the commercial and competition law sectors after my studies. 

I have been volunteering with Support Through Court at the civil branch in the Royal Courts of Justice since October 2023. I began my role as a student volunteer, and I loved it so much that I stayed on past my university ‘requirement’ and I am now a core volunteer. I also love to get involved with Support Through Court events. 

One of the things that I love about volunteering with Support Through is that every day is so different! The days depend on the clients I have, if I am assisting in a hearing and more generally: what is going on at the courts on the given day. I fulfil a variety of tasks from supporting people during appointments and hearings to answering phone calls and helping people navigate the courts.

During the appointments, we offer many types of assistance including form filling, drafting witness statements and emails as well as offering emotional support. We mostly assist with the eviction process and small money claims but we get a variety of issues coming through our doors. The huge advantage is that we are based at the Central London County Court, this allows us to spread the message about the service we provide and help influence ‘access to justice’ from the centre.  

Many of the people we support are facing serious mental health issues, unemployment and disability compounded by the stressful experience of facing court alone. In this vulnerable moment it is essential we can establish trust. 

We do this by making them feel heard and comfortable, for example by actively listening to their issues and offering reasonable adjustments to meet their needs. As with working in any sector concerning client work, there are challenges. Since we do not provide representation nor legal advice, we do feel our client’s disappointments at times. One thing I have learnt is to relay any information with empathy and focus on the positive aspects such as the help we can offer like signposting to a more appropriate organisation.  

Since volunteering with Support Through Court, I have become a better communicator as I have helped clients from a variety of backgrounds, similarly I work with volunteers who all have different skills and knowledge to offer which has been an invaluable benefit. I have also improved my leadership skills as on occasions I been the lead volunteer, simultaneously I have recognised the importance of teamwork. At Support Through Court, all the volunteers help each other by sharing knowledge and skills. 

Among the many case journeys I’ve been involved in, one that stands out is a lady that was regularly coming to us for help with her personal injury claim. We were with her from the very beginning of the journey when she was making the claim, throughout the hearings until she won her claim. Although, she was going through a very difficult and overwhelming time, we were so glad to be there for her throughout it. She built a very good relationship with the volunteers and was very grateful for all our help. This made us all feel the difference that we can make to litigants in person, and we look forward to helping all the people who keep needing our help. 

Volunteering with Support Through Court have given me a unique, hands-on experience in understanding the complexities and challenges people face in the justice system. I gained a deeper understanding of how difficult and intimidating it can be for individuals without legal representation to navigate the court process. Volunteering has shifted my perspective, showing me that the justice system, while designed to be fair, can be daunting and inaccessible for many people, highlighting the importance of support services like ours and the role they play in ensuring fairness and accessibility. It has also been a pleasure identify some changes that have been made to support litigants in person, for example when they have created a new platform for online money claims which is much simpler than the traditional N1 Claim form which was created for solicitors’ comprehension when legal aid was much more available.  

The barriers can make the legal process feel like an insurmountable challenge for individuals who do not have legal representation, which is why support services like Support Through Court are crucial to bridging these gaps.