NATFHE members are entitled to apply to the union's comprehensive Legal Advice and Assistance Scheme, which covers matters related to employment, professional duties and union activities.

In particular, it helps members with employment disputes, including equal opportunities matters, and those who wish to claim compensation for work-related accidents or illness (including injuries sustained travelling to and from work) and criminal assaults. You can download the Legal Scheme Regulations from this website as a Word document.

If your problem needs legal assistance, application must be made on a special form obtainable from your here .

Do not consult a solicitor unless told to do so by a union official; NATFHE will not meet unauthorised legal expenditure incurred by members.

Whatever your problem, you must not delay in seeking help from NATFHE; strictly-enforced time limits apply in many areas, and you should not let these run out before you take action. Many statutory employment rights require a claim to be received by the Employment Tribunal within three months from the date of the act complained of (and some time limits are as short as seven days). In personal injury cases, the time limit is three years from the date of injury. Late applications are unlikely to be entertained.

Other NATFHE legal services include: Accident Aid , our cost-free compensation scheme; and our Fixed Price Conveyancing Scheme .