Legal aid

What you can get

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

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

If you qualify for legal aid and your problem is covered by it, you could get:

advice on your rights and options
help with negotiations and paperwork
help if you’re accused of a crime, for example advice at a police station
a solicitor or barrister to get your case ready and speak on your behalf in court and some tribunals

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

homelessness or losing your home, or if it’s in serious disrepair
protecting yourself or your child from abuse or harassment, for example domestic violence or forced marriage
poor quality care you or a family member are getting due to age, disability or special educational needs
needing advice on finances, children or divorce if you’ve been in an abusive relationship
a child in your family being at risk of being taken into care
family mediation, for example if you’re separating or getting a divorce
discrimination
challenging the way the government has made a decision about you
seeking asylum or if you’ve been the victim of human trafficking
being arrested, charged or questioned by the police
needing advice if a family member’s death is going to a coroner’s inquest
appealing a decision made by the social security tribunal about your benefits to the Upper Tribunal, Court of Appeal or Supreme Court