Membership

To join ACAL (Association of Child Abuse Lawyers) fill in one of our application form - click here to go to the Membership Application Page. Membership of the panel/ACAL begins on the 1st March and ends on the 28th February. The Executive Committee will give consideration to allowing a person membership a reduction of the fee or an extension of membership if they apply in the middle of the year

For details of our client referral scheme and the solicitor's list see the links.

There are the following different types of membership - full details appear in the following table:-

Membership is open to any person. However in the case of multiple members from one solicitors’ firm or other organization, voting rights (in relation to any meeting of the members of ACAL) shall be restricted to five members only.

The training is no longer be included in the membership fee.

SOLICITOR'S REFERRAL SCHEME

The "Solicitor's List or Panel" is not part of the membership, but rather a method of selecting solicitors for client referrals. It is an effective method of "signposting" clients to solicitors who have been trained in the specialism of child abuse compensation cases.

To join the list one must satisfy certain criteria (for more details see the preamble to the application form), pay a separate fee and complete regular training. Fill in an application form online or print a form off below The fee is £500 per year per person. It is a precursor to an ACAL panel, which will run similarly to the A.V.M.A. panel.

Membership of the panel/ACAL begins on the 1st March and ends on the 28th February. The Executive Committee will give consideration to allowing a person membership a reduction of the fee or an extension of membership if they apply in the middle of the year

We have devised an application form which can be filled in online, or downloaded in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Reader versions (NB you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view - follow this link if you want to download it free of charge),

Application Form (Microsoft Word) (Adobe Acrobat Reader)

NB./

1. The ACAL Executive Committee has formed a sub committee to consider the admission of all new applicants to the Solicitors’ Referral Scheme together with those existing members who wish to renew their membership of the Scheme.

(a) The sub committee shall be composed of the President, the Vice President and the Treasurer who shall be advised/supplied with the relevant papers by the Co-ordinator at the time when each applicant applies to join the Referral Scheme or renews his/her membership of the Referral Scheme.

(b) The sub committee shall briefly discuss each new application/renewal by email, telephone or at a meeting.

(c) The decision to admit a solicitor shall be at the sole discretion of the sub-committee who shall if they refuse the application, give written reasons for their decision to the unsuccessful applicant. There is no appeal against their decision but it is open to any applicant to re-apply in the following year.

2. Panel applicants/members must attend Part 1 and Part 2 Introduction to Child Abuse within the first three years of their membership and thereafter in each succeeding year the Practitioners Workshop. If for whatever reason, there are insufficient people to attend Part 1 and Part 2 Introduction to Child Abuse, new members must commit to spending five hours reading the notes and completing a CPD form. Questions will be set from 1st March 2006 onwards for members to complete and send to the ACAL office.

3. ACAL courses do attract CPD points

4. The courses can be run in house if required

5. Course modules can be adapted to meet individual client needs.

6. If a member of the Solicitors List is unable to attend any of the training courses in a particular year, they should notify the ACAL office. In those circumstances, they will be asked to pay the relevant fee for a course and will be sent a copy of the notes to read. However non attendance at an ACAL course will be not excused in the following year and that member will not be re-admitted onto the Solicitors’ List.

7. Unique to ACAL courses is the emphasis placed on enhancing client care, raising professional confidence, reducing costs, self care, and improving case handling

For details of courses we provide click here. If you want to book any of them email us

Training Requirements of solicitor's Referral scheme

• Within the first three years of membership, the new Solicitors’ List members must attend an Introduction to Child Abuse Part 1 and Part 2 and the The Practitioner's Course (see below) in each succeeding year.
  
  
• An Introduction to Child Abuse Part 1 and Part 2 are designed to introduce practitioners to the effects of child abuse, the basics of child abuse compensation claim, and the practical issues that commonly arise with clients.
  
  
• The Practitioner's Workshop– this is a course that is designed for more experienced members of ACAL in order to update their knowledge of the relevant law .
  
  
• The idea is that to maintain one's position on the Solicitors List one must undergo Parts 1 and 2 and then regular updates at the Practitioner's Workshop each year.
  
• Membership of the Solicitor’s List will enable the successful applicant to be referred to potential clients who contact ACAL. One of ACAL’s roles is to ‘signpost’ legal services for members of the public and the details in this application form may be provided to callers to the ACAL office to allow them to make an informed choice as to which lawyer to contact and instruct. ACAL may also publish and distribute the information gathered for the establishment of the Solicitor’s List in order to raise awareness of the scheme among members of the public.
  
  
• All members must commit to one day’s training each year. They must attend Part 1 and Part 2 Introduction to Child Abuse within the first three years of their membership, and thereafter in each succeeding year the Practitioners Workshop. If a member of the Solicitors List is unable to attend any of the training courses in a particular year, they should notify the ACAL office. In those circumstances, they will be asked to pay the relevant fee for a course and will be sent a copy of the notes to read. However non attendance at an ACAL course will not be excused in the following year and that member will not be re-admitted onto the Solicitors’ List.
  
  
• If for whatever reason, there are insufficient people to attend Part 1 and Part 2 Introduction to Child Abuse, new members must commit to spending five hours reading the notes and completing a CPD form. Questions will be set from 1st March 2006 onwards for members to complete and send to the ACAL office.