How do I know if I should turn my campaign into a legal case?

When you were first getting your campaign up and running, you probably couldn’t comprehend that it might eventually attract a lot of attention. But, after sharing your campaign on social media platforms, you might now find that you have quite a large number of supporters. If lots of people have marked their support for your campaign, the next logical step may be to turn it into a legal case.

Don’t worry if you still feel like you don’t have many supporters yet - you can read our guidance article for more tips on gaining supporters.

When people support your campaign, they are essentially letting you know that: a) they have also been affected by the same issue, or b) they feel strongly about your issue and also want to lobby for change. If a large number of people have willingly marked their support for your cause and you notify them of your intention to take legal action, the likelihood that a lot of them would also join you in your endeavour is high. When you already have your supporters, and they are aware of your campaign aims, creating a group case should actually be very straightforward. You can find out more about group claims and how they work in the UK here.

Why should I add a legal case to my campaign?

There are lots of benefits to taking legal action:

• For many people, consulting a lawyer and making a claim either individually or as a group, is their only choice for achieving justice

• Taking legal action can help you get answers to questions that you may not have been able to get by other means

• You may see your intended change happen much quicker. When you start a legal case, it puts more pressure on the responsible party because they realise that you are serious about taking legal action

• Legal action allows you to hold large organisations and influential people to account for their actions and decisions

• Legal action can ensure that your issue receives public attention and prevents others from suffering similar injustices

• You may be due a financial settlement for any loss you have suffered due to the unlawful behaviour of individuals or organisations

• Your legal fight could make a huge positive difference for other people. You can get justice for others and prevent injustice from occurring in the future

• When you join a group claim, you are not alone. You are joining a community of people who have suffered the same injustice

• A group claim is people power taking effect. By joining a group claim, you strengthen the legal case through your experiences

• You can access advice from a legal professional through our platform.

How do I add a legal case to my campaign?

Step 1: Go to the dashboard (in the right-hand corner of the Find Others site).

Step 2: Click on the ‘Campaigns’ box and then select your live campaign.

Step 3: Scroll down your campaign page. Under the ‘Join the legal action’ section, select the purple ‘Add a legal case’ button.

Step 4: If you have an existing case group that you would like to add, the box shown below should pop up on your screen. Select the case you want to add.

If you do not already have a published case group on Find Others, the box below should pop up on your screen.

You will then be redirected to another page to create your legal case. Don’t worry if this sounds slightly daunting - we provide you with detailed guidance at every step to make the process as smooth as possible. We also have an FAQ section with a search box if you find yourself stuck.

If any legal terms arise that you’re unfamiliar with, feel free to take a look at the Find Others glossary of legal terms.

How do I find a lawyer on Find Others?

When you click on your legal case page, you will see a box on the left hand side under ‘Members’ with the heading ‘Lawyers’. You can then select the ‘Find a Lawyer ‘ button in this box.