Legal Aid

Legal Aid may be available in some cases to help meet the costs of legal advice, representation in a Court or Tribunal, and taking part in family mediation.

You will usually need to show that:

• your case is eligible for legal aid
• the problem is serious
• you can’t afford to pay for legal costs

We can help you get legal aid for:

• Care proceedings, or problems with a Local Authority about children.
• Divorce, children and financial matters if you have been a victim of domestic abuse, or there are child protection issues.
• Child abduction matters.
• Legal advice in support of mediation.
• Domestic violence injunctions.
• Forced marriage protection orders.

Whether you qualify for legal aid will depend on the type of case and your financial circumstances.

What you need to bring to your legal advisor

You will need to give information about the following for both yourself and your partner:

• Income, wages and benefits – including your latest payslips and benefits statements.
• Savings – your last bank statement for all accounts you hold including building societies and accounts with credit unions.
• Certain expenses – evidence of your rent and/or mortgage payments and any payments for childcare.

In some cases you will also need to bring other evidence relating to your case – e.g.:

• Court documents.
• Marriage and birth certificates (for family cases).
• All relevant letters
• Evidence that you or your child has been a victim of domestic abuse.

If you are eligible for legal aid you will need to tell your legal advisor promptly if any of your financial circumstances change.

Legal Aid rules are different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Paying the costs of your case

Legal aid might not cover all the costs of your case. You may have to:

• pay some of the costs upfront
• pay back some, or all of, your costs if you win money or property from your case.

The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) will make a charge or a claim – known as the ‘Statutory Charge’ - on any money or property you win. If this is your home, payment can be deferred and the debt placed as a charge on your home (similar to a mortgage).

Your legal adviser will explain how this works.

If your legal aid is revoked (for example if you stopped giving us instructions without any reason, or you did not supply information required by Legal Aid Agency during your case), you may have to repay your full legal costs.

 

‘We are here to help you’

Solicitors Regulation Authority, ID 67404

Established in Derbyshire for over 30 years