Free legal support to be offered to domestic abuse victims in isles
WOMEN subjected to domestic abuse in Shetland will get improved access to free legal support through a new partnership being launched by Shetland Women’s Aid (SWA).
The service will see SWA join Orkney Women’s Aid and Baker Gostelow Family Law, and will be funded by the Legal Education Foundation.
A dedicated solicitor will work alongside the women’s aid services to address long-standing barriers facing rural victims of domestic abuse in accessing legal advice.
SWA said this was something they had been working towards for a long time, and answered requests from locals through a recent women’s aid survey.
It said that while it had provided specialist support to women and children for over 40 years, access to legal representation had remained a “significant gap”.
“Research and frontline experience have consistently highlighted the challenges women face, including limited availability of solicitors, conflicts of interest in small communities, and the need to travel long distances for support,” SWA said.
The new service has been developed in response, the SWA added, with the recognition that access to trauma-informed legal advice is “essential to ensuring women and children can have safe and positive outcomes in civil and family court proceedings”.
Women will be able to access the service by contacting Shetland Women’s Aid, ensuring that legal advice is delivered alongside the support they are already receiving.
SWA manager Laura Stronach said they were delighted to welcome Shona Ewen as its new solicitor.
“Shona brings a wealth of experience and compassion that will make a real difference to women and their families across Shetland,” she said.
“Having access to specialist legal support locally is a significant step forward – empowering women to make informed choices about their safety and the safety of their children.
“This provision is not only about immediate protection, but about creating lasting, generational change for families affected by domestic abuse.
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“We are incredibly proud to be able to offer this as part of our support.”
Ewen, who will work with both Shetland and Orkney’s women’s aid teams, said that access to legal support in island communities “remains deeply unequal”.
“In some cases, legal processes themselves can be used as a continuation of abuse, making access to specialist, informed legal advice not just helpful, but essential.
“By embedding legal support within trusted local services, we can help women navigate the justice system more safely and with greater confidence.”
The new service has been fully funded by the Legal Education Foundation, an independent foundation supporting communities across the UK to use the law to create a more just and equal society.
If you are being subjected to domestic abuse and would like some support, or if you are worried about someone you know, contact Shetland Women’s Aid by emailing office@shetlandwa.org or calling 01595 692070. In an emergency, please phone 999.
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