Legal Aid Solicitors in St Helens
Legal aid is means tested both in the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court. Anyone on a “passport” benefit, such as Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, will qualify financially automatically. Anyone else will be subject to a means test and will require the production of recent wage slips, bank account details and documentary proof of housing costs.
A second “merit” test will also be applied. Even if you qualify financially, not every case will merit the granting of legal aid if the offence is considered to be too minor. Most minor motoring offences will fall into this category.
If you qualify financially it is always worth applying for legal aid. The cost of your case will be covered and even for minor offences it is sometimes possible to persuade the court to grant legal aid if, for example, you have learning difficulties, you have health difficulties that will prevent you from presenting your case properly or if a novel or unusual point of law is involved.
Please contact us if you have been charged or summonsed to attend court and feel that you might qualify for legal aid.
You can call us on 0800 195 5218 (Our Out Of Hours Emergency Contact Number 01744 454 477 is available 24 hours a day).
