Legal Aid

 

Legal Aid was replaced in April 2000 by Community Legal Service Funding, sometimes called Public Funding.

CLS funding may be granted to eligible parties in Children Act cases, including contact, residence and parental responsibility proceedings. It is a common condition that the case is started in the Family Proceedings (Magistrates) Court.

It is not necessary to delay making an application under the Children Act while awaiting the outcome of a Legal Aid application (which may take several weeks) if you are prepared to act as a litigant in person at the start of the case. In some circumstances emergency Legal Aid may be granted.

A Legal Aid certificate may be challenged by either party on grounds of merit (the case should not benefit from public money) or means (a party is not financially eligible).

For further information contact the Legal Services Commission (England and Wales only).

For Legal Aid in Scotland contact the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

 

Legal Services Commission Regional Offices

 

London	020 7759 1500	london@legalservices.gov.uk
Birmingham	012 1665 4700	birmingham@legalservices.gov.uk
Brighton	012 7387 8800	brighton@legalservices.gov.uk
Bristol	011 7302 3000	bristol@legalservices.gov.uk
Cambridge	012 2341 7800	cambridge@legalservices.gov.uk
Chester	012 4440 4500	chester@legalservices.gov.uk
Leeds	011 3390 7300	leeds@legalservices.gov.uk
Liverpool	015 1242 5200	liverpool@legalservices.gov.uk
Manchester	016 1244 5000	manchester@legalservices.gov.uk
Newcastle	019 1244 5800	newcastle@legalservices.gov.uk
Nottingham	011 5908 4200	nottingham@legalservices.gov.uk
Reading	011 8955 8600	reading@legalservices.gov.uk
Cardiff	029 2064 7100	cardiff@legalservices.gov.uk

Head Office
85 Gray's Inn Road,
London.
WC1X 8TX

Tel: 020 7759 0000

 

Updated 21 February, 2005