Legal aid who is entitled

But if you want to get legal information or advice about your problem, you can talk to us without going through the application process. Demand for our services is high, so we use strict criteria when granting aid for legal representation. This way we can make sure we are using our funding to help those who are least able to afford a lawyer. We use three sets of criteria to determine if legal aid will be granted. These are the Legal Aid Queensland means test, funding guidelines and in most cases, a legal merits test.

The means test looks at your income and assets to see if you are financially eligible for legal aid. Please ensure you include their income and asset details in your legal aid application. If you rely on Centrelink payments for your income, you will usually be eligible for legal aid, as long as your assets are within the set limits.

Financial help is where another person regularly gives you money, helps pay your bills or shares your living expenses. This could be a relative, friend, or your current or former partner or spouse. If you are in dispute with a person you usually receive financial help from, we will not take their income and assets into account.

Assets taken into account include real estate houses, land , cash, shares, debentures or other investments, and the assets of any person who helps you financially, unless you need legal aid because you are in dispute with that person. We do not include:. If you are a farmer or a small business owner, you can have equity in the farm or business up to the following limits:.

Table 1 sets out how much gross weekly income you can earn and still be eligible for aid. You can use this table to check if you meet the requirements and to see if you might have to make a contribution towards your legal costs.

Table 2 shows how much you could have to pay towards your legal costs based on the value of your assets. We will not approve your application if the amount you would have to pay towards your legal costs would be more than the grant of aid value.

Your net monthly income must be below the amount for your household size in the table below. The guidelines apply to standard cases, with increased guidelines for child protection cases and criminal early resolution cases.

Only a legal intake assistant can determine if you're financially eligible for legal aid. The following information is not complete. Do I qualify for legal representation? To get a legal aid lawyer to represent you: your legal problem must be covered by our legal aid rules , and your net monthly household income and assets must be at or below our financial guidelines.

Monthly income An intake legal assistant at your legal aid office will determine your monthly income by calculating your net income and the net income of members of your household. What may be included in monthly income? In compliance with section 10 2 of the Act, in determining the criteria un der which legal assistance is to be granted the Commission has had regard to the principles.

In determining the criteria, the Commission has also had regard to the principles in section 11 of the Act.

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