Legal Aid Navigator
Legal aid explained
Legal aid is government-funded help with legal costs for people who qualify. Here's what it is in plain English — and how to find out if you can get it.
We can't tell you whether you personally qualify. The rules about who can get legal aid depend on your income, savings, and the type of legal problem you have — and these rules change over time. The only reliable way to check is the official GOV.UK tool below.
What is legal aid?
Legal aid is money from the government that pays for some or all of your legal costs — for example, a solicitor's help, or representation in court. It exists so that people who could not otherwise afford legal help can still get it.
Not everyone qualifies, and not every type of legal problem is covered. Legal aid is more often available for serious matters such as domestic abuse, some family cases involving children, housing loss, and asylum. It's less commonly available for other types of civil dispute.
Ways to get help even if you don't qualify for legal aid
Civil Legal Advice
A free, confidential service that can tell you if you qualify for legal aid and connect you with a legal aid solicitor for certain problem types (such as debt, discrimination, and some family and housing issues).
Visit Civil Legal Advice (opens in a new tab)
Telephone: 0345 345 4 345
Citizens Advice
Free, independent guidance on a huge range of everyday legal and money problems, in person, by phone, or online.
Law centres
Local, not-for-profit legal practices offering free advice, often specialising in housing, immigration, employment and welfare law.
Support Through Court
Free, independent support for people representing themselves in civil or family court, without a solicitor.
A few terms explained
- Legal aid
- Government funding towards legal costs, for people and cases that qualify.
- Means test
- A check of your income and savings, used to decide if you qualify for free or subsidised help.
- Merits test
- A check of whether your case is strong enough, and serious enough, to justify public funding.
- Litigant in person
- Someone who represents themselves in court, without a solicitor or barrister.
- Pro bono
- Free legal help given voluntarily by a solicitor or barrister, outside of legal aid.