Who are legal aid lawyers?

Legal aid lawyers are lawyers who offer legal assistance to individuals who qualify for legal aid. Usually, people who have low income or can’t afford to hire a lawyer but need legal assistance for matters related to civil law, consumer rights, divorce, and family law are eligible to receive legal aid from legal aid lawyers. Legal aid lawyers offer legal aid to such people free of charge.

There are a large number of legal aid offices and community legal clinics spread across different countries, comprising qualified and trained legal aid lawyers to offer legal aid to those who are in desperate need of it. However, in order to avail the services of a legal aid lawyer, you first need to qualify for it.

Normally, the legal aid office will check your financial situation to determine if you qualify for the legal aid or not. They would take into account your monthly expenses and salary, the support that you provide to or receive from your family, any mortgages or debts that you may have, and assets that you own.  They would look into all these factors to decide whether you can pay for the legal fees charged by lawyers. If they are convinced that you can’t pay for your legal representation and various expenses that need to be borne in case of a divorce or family law case or those involving civil offence, you would be given a legal aid lawyer to fight your case in the court of law.

Those who are unemployed are also eligible to receive the services of a legal aid lawyer. However, if you have money but insufficient to hire and pay for a lawyer, you would be offered legal aid but you would have to make some contributions out of your own pocket.

You can choose to pay some amount every month to the legal aid office or you can put your house or any other asset that you have under lien. By doing this, you are in a way assuring the legal aid lawyer that you would pay him when you sell or refinance your house in future. This period is, in most case, of 5 years and you have to pay the legal aid fee by that time.

To get the best outcome from your case, look for a legal aid lawyer who is qualified, experienced, and competent. He must have handled cases similar in nature to that of yours and should be willing to listen to you carefully. A good lawyer would always offer you legal advice and solutions that are in the best possible interest of you and your family.

For the best legal aid lawyers, you may visit www.duncanlewis.co.uk