Legal Aid

Watson Woodhouse are specialists in Legal Aid Cases.

Through our contracts with the Legal Aid Agency, we can offer free legal services to people on a low income, who would otherwise not be able to afford the services of a lawyer for the conduct of a case or a legal proceeding in any court, tribunal or before an authority.

It is our founder James Watson’s personal ethos that:

“everyone should have access to high quality legal aid regardless of their financial standing in life” 

James Watson

Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family mediation and representation in a court or tribunal. You’ll usually need to show that your case is eligible for legal aid, the problem is serious, and you cannot afford to pay for legal costs.

How do you qualify for legal aid?

To qualify for legal aid, you usually need to show you cannot afford to pay for legal costs and your problem is serious. You’ll usually have to give details and evidence of your income, benefits, savings and property, and those of your partner.

People in the UK are eligible for legal aid if an individual’s gross annual income does not exceed £12,475, or where their gross annual income is greater than £12,475 and disposable annual income is less than £37,500.

Usually, you can get advice and assistance if: you don’t have a large amount of disposable capital (savings, shares, property and money, but not the house you live in) you could use or sell to pay for legal help, if you receive certain benefits such as Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Exceptional Case Funding

If you can’t get legal aid, there’s a small chance you might get help through ‘exceptional case funding’. You can find out how to apply for exceptional case funding without using a legal professional on the Public Law Project website. You can ask your nearest Citizens Advice if they can help you apply. Other funding options should be considered and the Watson Woodhouse Legal Team can advise.