Legal Aid is a vital component of Scotland’s justice system. The provision of Legal Aid ensures that people who are otherwise unable to afford legal representation obtain access to justice.
Legal Aid is met through public funds. Applications for Legal Aid are administered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB), based in Edinburgh.
If you are facing prosecution in a Court in Scotland, you may qualify for funding of legal costs (often in their entirety) under the Legal Aid scheme. Applications are made through solicitors who are registered to provide Criminal Legal Assistance by SLAB. McSporrans is a firm registered by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
Any application for Legal Aid will be determined by two tests:
In terms of financial position, any application for Legal Aid must be supported by information about an applicant’s income and expenditure; usually, a recent bank statement is sufficient. It is for the solicitor to complete the application on the basis of the information you provide.
Do not assume that if you are working, you will not qualify for Legal Aid. If you are in employment, you may still be eligible for funding, depending on the overall picture presented by your finances; the Scottish Legal Aid Board will take into account your family circumstances, housing costs, tax credits, debts and other factors.
Legal Aid can be made available even where a person wishes to plead guilty to a charge at an early stage in the case. McSporrans regularly provide representation to people who want to have their case dealt with efficiently and without delay. In this situation you may very well qualify for ‘Advice By Way Of Representation’ (ABWOR). Under this scheme, you can engage a solicitor to represent you in Court who will be paid by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
We are registered with the Scottish Legal Aid Board as a law firm eligible to provide Legal Aid. Our Legal Aid solicitors can advise you whether you are entitled to Legal Aid and are happy to offer a free consultation no matter what your circumstances might be.
