Am I eligible for legal aid in England?
Short answer
Legal aid is available in England for certain types of cases (such as housing, family, and immigration) subject to a means test (your income and capital) and a merits test (whether your case is strong enough to justify funding).
Legal aid in England is funded by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and governed by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO). Since the significant cuts under LASPO, legal aid is no longer available for most civil matters — it was removed from areas including debt, employment, welfare benefits, and most private family disputes. Legal aid does remain available for certain categories of case, including: housing cases where you are at risk of homelessness, have been unlawfully evicted, or are facing a possession claim; family cases involving domestic abuse, forced marriage, or international child abduction; immigration and asylum; mental health (compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act); community care; and some actions against public bodies. To receive legal aid, you must pass both a means test (assessing your gross income, disposable income, and capital/savings against defined thresholds) and a merits test (assessing whether the case is sufficiently strong and cost-effective to fund). If you are in receipt of certain benefits (such as Universal Credit or Income Support), you may automatically pass the means test for the financial element. Legal aid is delivered through solicitors and firms that hold legal aid contracts from the LAA. To find a legal aid provider, you can use the "Find a legal aid adviser or family mediator" search tool on the GOV.UK website.
Still need help?
Describe your specific situation and Case Buddy will explain what the law says — free, instantly, with no sign-up required.
Ask Case Buddy free