Check if you are eligible

Before you do anything, please watch these videos:

We cannot provide legal help to:

• People with a deadline less than three weeks away
• People who qualify for legal aid (click here for more information)
• Anyone who can afford the legal help they need
• People who have legal expenses insurance covering the problem they need help with
  
  

Legal Aid is money that you can apply for from the Government to pay for a solicitor or a barrister to help you. Advocate is not connected to this. We are a charity that helps people who cannot get legal aid. We find barristers who give free advice or representation in court but although we do our best to help, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee assistance because all of our barristers are volunteers.

Please bear in mind that we will ask you to confirm that you do not have access to the above options. Once this has been confirmed, a means test will be carried out to check your ability to afford legal help. This is carried out on a case-by-case basis. If you think you are eligible, please complete our application form with all the financial and other information requested in it.

If you are not eligible for legal assistance from Advocate, you may be able to afford a barrister through the Direct Access Portal. Alternatively, please visit our signposting page for more information on how to find the right legal help from another organisation.

Barristers can:

• Represent you in any court/tribunal
• Give legal advice in a meeting or over the phone
• Give legal advice in writing
• Draft documents such as skeleton arguments
  
  

Barristers cannot:

• Prepare a case and paperwork for the court/tribunal
• Lodge papers at the court/tribunal for you
• Provide administrative support for you
• Write letters on your behalf