Legal aid
Financial eligibility
To get legal aid, you’ll usually need to show that both:
- your income is below a certain amount
- the value of your savings, investments and property are below a certain amount
You can be eligible for legal aid whatever your financial circumstances if your case is:
- about children in care or being taken into care
- heard by a mental health tribunal
- about a child being abducted and taken out of the UK or brought into the UK
The rules are different if you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime.
Your income
You’ll usually need to show that you and your partner either:
-
have a joint monthly income of £2,657 or less (before tax and other deductions)
-
get a qualifying benefit
Qualifying benefits are:
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Universal Credit
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the ‘Guarantee Credit’ element of Pension Credit
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income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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Income Support
You might still be eligible if you have a higher income and your case is about:
- domestic abuse
- forced marriage
Your savings, investments and property
You will not usually be eligible if you and your partner have assets of over £8,000. Assets are:
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savings and investments
-
any equity in your home over £100,000 (equity is the current value of your home minus the amount of mortgage you owe)
You might still be eligible if you have assets worth more than £8,000 if:
- you’re over State Pension age
- you’re disputing ownership of your home
- your case is about domestic abuse
- your case is about forced marriage
If you’re not sure you’re eligible
If you’re not sure if you’re eligible, you can check if you can get legal aid.
When you might have to contribute some of 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 of the cost if you win money or property from your case
Your legal advisor will explain what will happen if this applies to you.