The Legal Aid Board provides legal services in relation to civil law matters to eligible persons. These legal services include legal advice and legal aid. To qualify for services you must satisfy the Board’s financial eligibility requirements. You must also satisfy the Board that your case has merit. All board services are governed by the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations. 

Legal advice 
Legal advice is any oral or written advices given by a solicitor or a barrister in civil matters. It can include writing letters on your behalf and acting for you in negotiations with other persons. Legal advice is provided by solicitors in the Board’s law centre network.

Legal aid 
Legal aid means representation by a solicitor or barrister in civil proceedings in the District, Circuit, High and Supreme Courts.

Legal aid is not granted automatically. If you require representation for a court case, the Board will consider if it is reasonable for to grant legal aid. This procedure is called the merits test. This test is applied to each individual case. If the Board considers that it is reasonable to grant legal aid, a legal aid certificate will be issued to you and you will have legal representation for your case.

Legal aid is provided by solicitors employed by the Board in its law centres. In certain family law and asylum cases, legal aid may be provided by solicitors in private practice who are contracted by the Board and placed on a panel for this purpose.