What is Legal Aid?
Legal Aid is government funded assistance with meeting the costs of legal advice and representation.
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is the governing body responsible for the management and overseeing the delivery of legal aid in England & Wales.
What types of legal aid are available?
Legal aid can cover the costs advice from a solicitor and representation at Court, if necessary. It can also supplement the cost of mediation in certain circumstances.
Am I eligible for legal aid?
You will normally need to show that:-
· your income is below a certain amount; and
· the value of your savings / investments and property are below a certain amount.
Most private family law cases are only eligible for legal aid where there are also issues concerning domestic abuse or child abuse, and specific supporting evidence of this will need to be provided.
The “merits” of your case, including the likelihood of success and the reasonableness of the likely costs, are also considered by the LAA.
The eligibility criteria is regularly reviewed by the government. You can check if you are eligible here.
If you are unsure if you are eligible, then it is advisable to speak with a solicitor offering legal aid services. You can find a solicitor here.
How can a legal aid solicitor help?
The legal aid solicitor will apply for funding on your behalf. If your application is approved, the LAA will issue you with a legal aid certificate. This will state the amount of funding for your case and the type of legal aid you have been granted.
It is important to note that any change in your circumstances must be reported to the LAA.
It should also be noted that legal aid might not cover the entire costs of your case. You may have to pay some costs upfront and/or repay some of the funding you have received, if you are awarded money or property later in your case.
How can we help?
Although we do not offer legal aid services, we can direct you to some solicitors that do if we think you might be eligible.
If you are not eligible for legal aid, we can assist you.
We appreciate the need to carefully manage costs and offer a ‘fixed fee’ initial consultation (which is helpful to discuss your current situation, receive bespoke advice, and have a clearer understanding of how best to move forward). We can also carry out further work for you on a fixed fee basis, where appropriate.
We will always monitor your case and make you aware if we believe you may be eligible for legal aid to ensure your costs are limited.
Please do not hesitate to contact us using the options below if you would like to discuss your case further.
