LEGAL AID SERVICES
Legal Aid Services is an umbrella term for the services we offer to individuals and families who are unable to pay privately to access our Housing and Immigration & Asylum legal services.
We are authorised by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) to provide free legal help, advice and assistance to individuals and families who cannot fund their cases on a private basis. We will conduct a financial means test to determine clients’ eligibility for our legal aid services.
The types of legal aid services we provide in respect of our Housing and Immigration & Asylum Work are set out below:
HOUSING | IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM |
Disrepair | Asylum and Human Rights Application (Child) |
Unlawful Eviction | Asylum and Human Rights application (Adult) |
Suitability of accommodation | Asylum and Human Rights Appeal (Child) |
Homelessness | Asylum and Human Rights Appeal (Adult) |
Challenging a Council’s adverse Decision | Judicial Review |
Defending Repossession proceedings | |
Evictions based on rent arrears |
Eligibility
Access to legal aid assistance is subject to eligibility criteria being satisfied and an income and savings (financial means) assessment being undertaken to confirm eligibility. You may qualify for legal aid advice and assistance, if you receive the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Income Support
- Income Based Jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income Related Employment and Support allowance (ESA)
- Guarantee credit
- Section 95 Asylum Support (adult asylum applicants)
- Local Authority support towards unaccompanied asylum seeking children under the provisions of Section 20 of the Children’s Act 1989
If you qualify for legal aid assistance, you do not have to pay us for any work we do or carry out on your behalf.
We will, however, monitor your continuing eligibility for our legal aid services throughout the course of your matter and our retainer. Should your financial circumstances change resulting in you being able to afford to pay privately for our services, we would expect you to report this change immediately to our attention to avoid a financial burden being passed on to the taxpayer.
Disbursements
Depending on your case, there may be times when expenses would have to be incurred to assist the progression of your case and enhance its prospects of success. Such payments usually include payments to third parties such as interpreters (if you do not speak English fluently), medical experts (psychiatrists, psychologists etc.) and Barristers amongst others. These payments to third parties are referred to as ‘disbursements’ and they can be incurred at the expense of the legal aid purse if you are eligible for our legal aid services.
Who Will Carry Out The Work?
Our aim is to provide you with a bespoke quality service. Depending on which area of law your matter relates to, it will be assigned to the most suitable solicitor in either our Housing or our Immigration & Asylum Teams. A member of the appropriate team will competently assess your case and prepare an agreed action plan with you to give effect to your instructions.