Who can claim Legal Aid?

• Income Support
• INCOME BASED Job Seekers Allowance
• Guarantee State Pension

If you are on a low income then you would have to be assessed as we have to take your gross income (the income you receive before your tax is removed) then take away deductions such as housing costs, tax & national insurance and employment expenses.  If you would like to be assessed for Legal Aid in a Family or Criminal matter then please arrange an appointment by telephoning freephone 0800 1071 208.

You can also go on the Community Legal Advice website which is an information site set up by the Legal Services Commission and calculate your eligibility for Legal Aid which is http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk/en/legalaid/ 

What is the Statutory Charge?

This is where the Legal Services Commission decide that you should pay back some or all of your legal costs if you recover or keep property or assets as a result of legal proceedings.  The Statutory Charge is worked out after the case is finished and the Solicitors costs are calculated.  This charge can be waived in exceptional circumstances but this is rare.

What is the Solicitors Charge?

If you are in receipt of Family Help for your case then we are paid a standard fee by the Legal Services Commission.  The Legal Services Commission is the body that regulates Legal Aid and used to be known as the Legal Aid Board.

The fees that we are paid depend on the level of work we do.  If the amount of work carried out goes over the standard fee and is 3 times the amount that we would get paid under the Family Help Scheme then you may have to pay a "Solicitors Charge" to the Legal Services Commission. 

What types of Legal Aid are there?

     Family Help Scheme
    If you are eligible for Legal Aid then we will usually carry out work initially 
    under the Family Help Scheme.  This scheme permits us to carry out the 
    initial work needed in your case such as seeing you at interview, telephone 
    calls and letters to the other party.  This scheme does not cover our costs
    for attending Court and if that were required we would have to apply for a full
    Public Funding Certificate.

     Public Funding Certificate
    If matters are not resolved and Court proceedings need to be issued or the
    matter becomes complex, we may have to apply for a Public Funding 
    Certificate.  This gives us a greater amount of funding to carry out further 
    work such as representation at Court and dealing with the Court
    documentation.  

     Emergency Legal Aid
    In cases of emergency such as applying for an urgent injunction then we may
    have to apply for emergency funding to cover work we do.

What do I need to provide to you so that you can claim Legal Aid?

         If you are in receipt of benefits:
       You need to provide us with a recent (within the last 2 weeks of signing the
       form) letter from the agency that pays your benefits outlining the amount
       of benefits you receive; how often you receive it and what type of benefit
       it is.  We can obtain this for you from the Benefits Agency but this does 
       take a long time and may delay your case as there is a limit to the amount
       of work we can carry out without proof of benefits.  Therefore if you do not
       have a recent letter we would suggest that you obtain one from the
       benefits agency that pays your benefits.  You also need to obtain details of
       any Child Tax Credit you receive.

        If you work:
      We need 5 weeks of wage slips covering the date you sign the Legal Aid
      form.  In other words the four weeks before and the next wage slip when
      you receive it.  We also need a bank statement showing any Child Tax
      Credits, Working Tax Credits or Child Benefit you may receive.
 
      If you require any further information please contact us.

      To find out more about Legal Aid you can go to the Community Legal Advice
      website at http://www.communitylegaladvice.org.uk