Legal Aid Instructions
We are happy to accept LAA funded instructions
We are happy to accept process serving instructions funded by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).
If you are a firm of Solicitors looking to instruct us to undertake process serving in an LAA funded matter we are able to undertake this and can on completion along with the Statement of Service will provide you with an invoice reflecting the time taken and mileage travelled at the LAA prescribed time and mileage rates.
These instructions have to come to us from a firm registered to provide Legal Aid and we cannot accept instructions funded by Legal Aid direct from the public.
Who is eligible for Legal Aid?
The Basics
This is a question we are regularly asked and it does depend on your type of case and your financial situation.
With Civil cases you usually have to show that you do not have the funds to pay your own legal fees and that you have a genuine need for legal advice.
By Civil cases this means matters such as Family and Housing.
If you feel you may be eligible for your case to be funded by Legal Aid you should contact a local firm of Solicitors who accept Legal Aid matters.
Legal Aid funding cannot be provided through Direct Access Barristers.
Alternatively, there is a online checker that allows you to check you eligibility.
If you are considering an application for Legal Aid funding you will need to have details and proof of your income, savings, benefits and property as well as those of your partner.
There are exceptions to the rules regarding your financial situation being taken into account for cases about:
- Child Abduction
- Children Care Proceedings
- Mental Health Tribunals
In some cases you may find that even if you are eligible for Legal Aid funding it may not cover all the costs in your case.
The alternatives to Legal Aid
If you are not eligible for Legal Aid funding then there are still two other options open to you.
If you are able to do so, you can fund the matter yourself but you should always be wary of rising costs and if at all possible obtain a fixed fee quote.
If funding the matter yourself is not practical then it may be possible to obtain free advice from your local Citizens Advice office.