Mental Health & Legal Matters

The cost of living crisis has added to an already difficult situation for UK consumers and businesses. We’ve been helping consumers and small businesses with legal problems for over 15 years and the new situation is only going to add to the challenges our visitors are experiencing.

One of the inevitable and sad aspects of increased financial or legal problems is the associated rise in mental health issues.

A study by the Royal College of Psychiatrists found that 50% of people in debt are experiencing anxiety, depression or other diagnosed mental health disorder. Legal issues cause even higher levels of illness and concern and there is little study as to the impact on mental health of going through a legal dispute. Litigious matters are especially stressful and can cause intense periods of worry and stress and we would advocate people entering into any legal dispute to take especially good care of their mental health by talking to their GP, seeking phone help from a large number of support organisations or engaging with talking therapies to minimise the possible harm that could be caused by the dispute they are encountering.

Legal disputes are by their very nature stressful. As a litigant in person, the claimant or defendant is most often acting against a solicitor’s firm or in house legal department. Additionally, with the average court case taking over one year to reach trial and with the possibility that the loss of such a case could trigger huge legal costs or a CCJ, there are very real consequences and risk to such cases.

The number of court cases has been increasing in recent years, driven by the debt purchase industry and private parking ticket enforcement. This has meant that increasing numbers of people are getting caught in the court system and face a potentially long period of worry.

We at LegalBeagles would recommend that you enter any such process with your eyes wide open about the risks. It would be wise to take a highly pro-active stance before the process gets underway to ensure that you have put in place adequate support from counsellors, GP or support groups to better handle to journey. Do not assume that you will be able to cope unsupported. We assist tens of thousands of ordinary people every year who find themselves navigating the journey and we are often saddened when we encounter someone who starts their claim or defence with determination, but then becomes overwhelmed by the process of understanding procedural steps, drafting unfamiliar documents and maintaining court timescales. We believe that by taking a realistic and planned approach to your court battle, there is much you can do to make the process easier for you emotionally.

Your mental wellbeing is a fragile and precious resource. Our community is very experienced at providing practical and emotional support through the stress of a court action and we have seen many successes for those prepared to organise themselves and prepare themselves calmly for the time ahead. As well as understanding all the legal steps, we believe that caring for your own emotional welfare is a vital part of the success of your outcome. Don’t underestimate this element when dealing with your dispute, make sensible plans to organise your time and emotions and to protect your health.

The LegalBeagles community will always be here to support you through that journey and you can use your thread to share not only questions but also feelings and worries about the process, we have been doing this for fifteen years and we are here every single day of the year for all of you.