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
