I was a lawyer before I retired, and I was a partner in a leading litigation firm for many years. I offered to help at my local CAB, as I thought that I could use my skills to help people with problems which are often basically legal problems, such as injuries at work, employment or contract issues.
I really hoped that I could make a difference by fighting people's corners and protecting them - just by being on their side and having the experience and knowledge of how things work, and giving them the confidence and reassurance to believe everything would be ok.
I was called in for a 'test' which the organisers said I had completed better than any other applicant had ever done. Initially, I was advised that I would progress to the next stage, which would be an interview. However, ultimately this did not happen, as they said that I would put too many people's 'noses out of joint' if I was allowed to start dealing with legal cases and have 'clients' from day 1. Apparently, this is something which has to be earned as a privilege after months, if not years, of advising on benefits etc - not an area which I know anything about and I am not particularly numerate. In other words, I would not be permitted to use my skill set, but forced to do something in which I have little skill, to the detriment of the people, who came to the CAB in trouble and in need.
Although I am thinking of trying to find some other form of voluntary work, this experience has left me feeling somewhat disillusioned .
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