Legal aid can help you pay for legal advice, family mediation and representation in court and some tribunals.

This could include help for housing, debt, family or education problems. You can also get legal aid if you’re accused of a crime.

You can’t use legal aid for most work problems, unless you’ve been discriminated against.

Legal aid rules are different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

You could get help with costs of legal advice or getting someone to speak or negotiate for you.

In some cases, you could get a solicitor or barrister to represent you in court and some tribunals.

You can also get help if you’re accused of a crime, eg advice at a police station or someone to represent you in court.

You may have to pay some money towards the legal costs of your case.

What you can get legal aid for

You might be able to get legal aid for problems like:

• being arrested, questioned or charged by the police
• debt, eg if you might lose your home
• housing, eg if you’re being evicted
• family issues, eg mediation if you’re getting a divorce
• education, eg if you disagree with a special educational needs decision about your child
• community care, eg if you’re unhappy with care being provided for an old or disabled relative

Types of legal aid

Legal help

Advice on your rights and options and help with negotiations and paperwork.

Help at court

Someone to speak for you, but not formally represent you, in a civil court.

Family mediation

Help working out an agreement with a former partner without going to court.

Legal representation

A solicitor or barrister will get your case ready and speak in your defence in court.

Civil (non-criminal) cases

To get legal aid, you usually need to show you can’t afford to pay for legal costs and your problem is serious.

Check if you can get legal aid to get help with civil cases (eg a debt, family or housing problem).

You’ll usually have to give details of your income, benefits and property. If you’re under 18, you may need to give information about your parents’ or guardians’ income.

Criminal cases

A police custody officer will help you get legal aid if you’ve been arrested and held at a police station. A solicitor will check if you qualify for legal aid if you’re charged with a crime or have to go to court.

You’ll get legal aid automatically if you’re under 16 (or under 18 and in full-time education) or on certain benefits.

Alternatives to legal aid

If you can’t get legal aid, you can get free advice from:

• the Law Centres Network
• Citizens Advice
• AdviceNow

You can also pay for advice from a local legal adviser or solicitor.

A police custody officer will help you get legal aid if you’ve been arrested and held at a police station.

A solicitor will check if you qualify for legal aid if you’re charged with a crime or have to go to court.

Contact a local legal adviser or solicitor for any type of legal aid case. For debt, housing, education, family and discrimination cases, contact Civil Legal Advice.

What you need to know

You’ll need to give information about the following for both you and your partner:

• benefits - including benefits statements
• income, savings and spending - including pay slips and bank statements
• National Insurance numbers