The Legal Aid Franchise Scheme

Legal Help Criminal Legal Aid "No Win, No Fee"

We hold a contract with the Legal Services Commission (formerly the Legal Aid Board) to provide legal advice in civil matters. We also hold a Legal Aid Franchise in relation to Criminal Legal Aid.

5 STEPS TO COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE (CLS) FUNDING

STEP ONE

Contact us to arrange an appointment to discuss your situation. Bring with you all the information you can about your case so that we can give you detailed advice. Write down any questions you want to ask beforehand.

STEP TWO

Bring with you details of both your own and your partner’s income – savings and outgoings, recent wage slips, mortgage or rent information, Council Tax payments and bank statements.

STEP THREE

If you are on Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, bring proof that you are in receipt of these – such as a Benefit book. There are also special rules for those receiving Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit, and it will help if you can bring proof of receipt of these.

STEP FOUR

If you qualify the cost of your meeting with us and the following advice will be met by the CLS Fund. If you win your case you may have to repay these costs, but this will be explained to you before you get to that stage.

STEP FIVE

One meeting might be all you need. If your case is more complicated, we will advise you how to take it further and apply for higher levels of CLS Funding.

INITIAL LEGAL HELP

We will assess your income, and will make allowances for expenses, such as Income Tax, National Insurance and providing for dependants. What you have after these scale allowances is called your “Disposal Income”. If it is £84.00 per week or less and your disposal capital is £1,000.00 or less, you will qualify for help under these schemes. Additional allowances are made against your capital for any dependants you have.

HIGHER LEVELS OF FUNDING IN CIVIL CASES

Where further support is required, perhaps to bring Court proceedings, then the LCS must be satisfied that you have a good enough case before your case may be funded. The tests vary depending on the type of case but may include, for example, looking at how likely you are to win your case. We will advise you which criteria apply to your case and will help you complete the application forms. For these higher levels of funding the income and capital limits are quite different from the initial help scheme and much higher allowances are made for expenses, for example, rent, mortgages and other outgoings. Your disposal income for most of the higher levels of help must be below £8,067.00 a year (after all the allowable deductions) and your disposal capital after allowances for your dependants must normally be below £6,750.00.

CRIMINAL LEGAL AID

Advice and assistance is available for any matter relating to criminal proceedings, including motoring offences, prosecution for no television licence, prosecutions concerning the Benefits Agency etc. Initial legal advice may be free (see initial Legal Help above). Free Legal Aid or with a contribution may be available in suitable cases to represent you at Court, whether on a Guilty plea or a Not Guilty plea leading to a trial.

POLICE STATION AND MAGISTRATES COURT DUTY SOLICITOR SCHEME

We are members of the police station and Magistrates Court Duty Solicitor schemes, where free legal advice is available, regardless of your financial circumstances. It is free to everyone.

"NO WIN, NO FEE"

On certain type of cases we are able to undertake a “no win, no fee” (or conditional fee) agreement. If you win the case you will have to pay what is known as a “Success fee” along with the usual costs like our fees and Court fees. However, you should be able to claim these costs and the success fee back from the other side. If you lose, you will not usually have to pay our fees, but you may have to pay the expenses and the other side’s legal costs. You are likely to be able to take out insurance to cover these costs. We will discuss the case with you and tell you whether or not we would make a charge and how the costs are worked out, and what the total bill is likely to be.