Legal aid

Years of underinvestment have brought the justice system to its knees. Victims, defendants and witnesses are suffering the consequences while hardworking solicitors are forced out of the sector. Our fight for properly funded legal aid and access to justice is part of our advocacy work on the issues you’ve told us matter most.

Nick Emmerson standing in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, London on a bright sunny day. Nick is a white man with dark hair, wearing a blue suit and tie.

Taking the government to court on criminal legal aid funding

We're taking our fight for fair funding to the High Court. Find out more and support our campaign.

Learn about our fight for fair funding

Resources

A woman wearing a yellow jumper uses a piggy bank

Legal aid means test review

Young woman sitting in kitchen, staring at calculator next to open laptop

Civil legal aid review

Lawyer in court holding papers while cross-examining witness. She is wearing a pink top and dark suit, visible from the shoulders down

Criminal legal aid review

All resources

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Advocacy in the youth court02 Oct 2023
Civil legal aid applications – tips for providers27 Jun 2023
Criminal legal aid report – key recommendations27 Jan 2022
Exceptional case funding – guidance for solicitors10 Oct 2019
Legal aid for pro bono clinics13 Aug 2019
Litigants in person: guidelines for lawyers04 Jun 2015
Living with COVID-19: safety in court and tribunal buildings15 Jun 2022
Our family legal aid policy position27 Jun 2023
Tendering for legal aid contracts22 Nov 2023

Civil legal aid: a review of its sustainability and the challenges to its viability27 Sep 2021
Cost of a day in court27 Jul 2018
Disqualified from justice: legal aid means test01 Apr 2018
Justice on trial 2019: Fixing our criminal justice system report14 Jun 2019
LASPO four years on: Law Society review29 Jun 2017
Law under lockdown: the impact of COVID-19 measures on access to justice and vulnerable people25 Sep 2020
More affordable justice: legal aid means test report30 May 2022
Paying for legal help when ineligible for criminal legal aid – report 28 Sep 2018
Research on the benefits of early professional legal advice19 Jun 2018
Technology, access to justice and the rule of law report16 Sep 2019
The impact of legal aid capital and contribution thresholds for victims of domestic violence28 Sep 2018

Changes to the evidence requirements for legal aid funding in private law family cases (domestic violence gateway)01 Jul 2022
Consumer Contracts Regulations 201315 Sep 2023
Defence costs orders18 Mar 2021
Rejecting un-remunerative publicly funded criminal work27 Nov 2023
Representation before mental health tribunals31 Aug 2022

Applying for civil legal aid – flowchart05 May 2023
Community care – legal aid deserts07 Jun 2022
Education – legal aid deserts07 Jun 2022
Housing – legal aid deserts07 Jun 2022
Immigration and asylum – legal aid deserts07 Jun 2022
Nightingale courts status interactive map27 Jun 2023
Welfare benefits – legal aid deserts31 Mar 2023

CTS cyber incident06 Dec 2023
Changes to court working hours03 Mar 2022
Civil legal aid review07 Nov 2023
Criminal legal aid review07 Dec 2023
Domestic Abuse Act 202127 Jun 2023
Early legal advice27 Nov 2023
LASPO Act 22 Nov 2023
Legal aid means test review12 Sep 2023

Map showing areas of England and Wales with 6 of fewer housing legal aid providers (March 2023) - most of the map is red or orange to show a shortage or desert

Legal aid deserts

Our updated heatmaps show how funding cuts have left large areas of England and Wales without access to advice.

Explore the maps

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