A government-funded service aimed at helping people resolve disputes without the need for legal representation was launched over the Internet this week.

The Web site, run by Advicenow, features a 'tracker tool' to assist users in keeping a record of disputes.


The on-line system provides a facility for recording whom users have spoken to in relation to their dispute, when the conversation took place, and what was agreed. A reminder system e-mails the user to let him know when action is expected, and produces a printout of all the steps that have been taken to resolve the issue.


The system is designed to be used either by an individual on their own, or in conjunction with an adviser. It provides a series of guides to dealing with debt, recovering a deposit, and securing tax credits.


The service also features a section on 'how to solve a problem', providing basic information on rights, how to negotiate, and how to record progress. It aims to assist the estimated 37% of people who attempt to resolve their own legal problems, and tackle the million civil law claims that are believed to go unsolved every year, according to research by the Legal Services Research Centre.


Alison Charlton, information services manager at Advicenow, said: 'Lots of people try to deal with legal problems on their own, but many give up because they're not sure what to do next. The tracker tool gives people a simple way of keeping track of what they've done, and it comes with guidance on how to manage their own legal problems... It will give people the skills they need to resolve a problem.'


Matt Ventrella, advice skills trainer at partner organisation AdviceUK, said: 'When people try to solve their own legal problems, they are often unprepared. They know that they had an argument on such a day, but they have no record of it.


'It becomes their word against someone else's and it feels much harder to get someone to listen to you. The more evidence you have, the more confident and therefore capable you are of solving your own problem. Often the success of a case depends on the records that are kept.'


The initiative was funded by a £100,000 grant from the Treasury to support a year-long project to test information and tools supporting a self-help approach to legal problems. It was sponsored by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and was launched by minister David Lammy at Advicenow's annual conference.


www.advicenow.org.uk/selfhelp