LEGAL AID - THE RULES
LEGAL AID - THE RULES
Legal Aid:
You have two choices for legal representation; pay yourself or see if Legal Aid or another free option is available to you.
Here is a quote taken from the .gov.uk website (link below)
“Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation and representation in a court or tribunal. You’ll usually need to show that:
- your case is eligible for legal aid
- the problem is serious
- you can’t afford to pay for legal costs
- you or your family are at risk of abuse or serious harm, eg domestic violence or forced marriage
- you’re at risk of homelessness or losing your home
- you’ve been accused of a crime, face prison or detention
- you’re being discriminated against
- you need family mediation
- you’re adding legal arguments or bringing a case under the Human Rights “
You can check if you can apply for Legal Aid by using a brief quiz type tool found on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
THE LEGAL AID 'Do I Qualify' CHECKER
When running the checker as a parent, I have clicked everything that applies to Special Educational Needs. This is a quote from the result:
“Legal aid is available for this type of problem, however, you must also qualify financially.
If you do qualify financially, you’ll be able to speak to Civil Legal Advice (CLA), a national helpline for certain legal aid problems in England and Wales.
The CLA operator will check all the information you’ve given through this service. You’ll need to provide evidence of your finances and a specialist will ask you about your case in more detail before your application can progress.
To complete the financial assessment, you and your partner (if you have one) will need:
- recent payslips (if you’re working) and bank statements a summary of your income tax and National Insurance contributions
- details of any savings and investments you have
- details of any benefits you receive
- Mortgage statements and a current valuation for any property you own
If you’re under 18, you should contact CLA without completing the financial assessment.”
“To qualify for legal aid:
- your income (or combined income if you have a partner) shouldn’t be more than £2,657 a month before tax
- your savings (or combined savings if you have a partner) “
Info courtesy of : https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
There is also an additional quiz for your personal finances so you can be certain before approaching a solicitor. You will need to search within your area for a solicitor who operates with Legal Aid.
