Legal Aid Explained

Braddon & Snow’s team are currently unable to take on Legal Aid cases, but we will be happy to advise you on your eligibility and alternative funding options that may match your circumstances.

We offer an initial 30-minute appointment for a nominal fee of £125 + VAT.

Legal Aid is a type of government funding that can help people cover the cost of legal advice. It is only available for certain types of legal issues and under certain circumstances.

In order to get Legal Aid, you must be eligible and the type of help you need must be covered by the Legal Aid scheme.

If you do not qualify for Legal Aid (as, unfortunately, most people do not) there are various alternative funding options that can help to keep the costs of expert legal advice affordable for ordinary people.

In our experience, many people who enquire about Legal Aid funding sadly do not qualify, so we really recommend checking your eligibility and exploring the alternatives as soon as possible.

If you do qualify for Legal Aid, we will be happy to refer you to a trusted local solicitor who offers Legal Aid funded services.

To arrange your fixed fee appointment with one of our highly trained legal experts, please get in touch:

Do you qualify for Legal Aid?

The scope of Legal Aid has been reduced significantly in recent years, so relatively few people can now claim this type of support.

To qualify for Legal Aid, you will usually need to show that you cannot afford the cost of legal advice yourself and that the matter you need help with is covered by the Legal Aid Scheme.

Depending on your financial situation, Legal Aid may then cover some or all of your legal costs.

Legal Aid is only available for the following types of legal matters:

  • Legal representation when questioned at a police station (regardless of your financial situation)
  • Court representation if you are prosecuted for a criminal offence
  • Civil cases related to debt, family or housing issues
  • Victims of domestic abuse

Alternatives to Legal Aid

If you do not qualify for Legal Aid, there are alternatives that can help keep the cost of legal advice to a minimum, including:

Fixed fee deals – Where a set price is agreed in advance for dealing with a specific matter, such as handling uncontested divorce proceedings. This gives complete certainty over the costs involved.

No win, no fee funding – Commonly used for compensation claims, this means your solicitor’s fees will only be applied if they win compensation for you, removing the need to fund the claim upfront and any financial risk to you.

Deferred fee agreements – Often used when dealing with divorce financial settlements, this allows you to put off paying your solicitor’s fees until a settlement has been reached and the funds you need are unlocked.

Braddon & Snow offers a range of flexible funding options such as these to match your needs, helping to ensure as many people as possible can access our expertise.

Get affordable legal advice from our experts

While Braddon & Snow Solicitors is not able to take on Legal Aid funded work, we do offer an initial 30-minute appointment with our experts for a nominal fee of £125 + VAT.

During this appointment, we will be happy to discuss your eligibility for Legal Aid and alternative funding arrangements to meet your requirements, so you can access our high quality legal services.

To arrange your fixed fee appointment with one of our highly trained legal experts, please get in touch.