Legal aid

Legal help when you can’t afford a lawyer

What this chapter covers

• Criminal legal aid
  How to apply, how it’s decided whether you’ll get criminal legal aid, whether you’ll have to pay any of it back and what you can do if you’re refused
• Other legal assistance in criminal cases
  Two other legal help schemes: talking to a lawyer for free when you’ve been arrested (Police Detention Legal Assistance scheme (PDLA)), and having a duty lawyer represent you
• Civil/family legal aid
  Getting legal aid in non-criminal employment disputes, including: how to apply, how it’s decided whether you’ll get legal aid, whether you’ll have to pay any of it back, and what you can do if you’re refused
• Other resources
  Where to get more information