Scottish Legal Aid Board Online

Vision
To provide access to justice for those eligible and in need of it, in a cost-effective manner.

Legal aid allows people who would not otherwise be able to afford it to get help for their legal problems. The Scottish Legal Aid Board was set up in 1987 to manage legal aid in Scotland. Read more about our work in the about us section.

Legal aid help for mortgage arrears cases

Legal aid helps many people with mortgage arrears and repossession cases, even if they go to court, and it's not true that you always have to pay for this - read more.

Update - 16 Dec 2010 RBS v Wilson.

Getting legal help

Civil or criminal legal assistance helps people to get legal advice and "representation", which means a solicitor to put their case in court. Find out more about legal assistance, if you may be eligible and how to apply.

Solicitors who provide legal assistance are registered with us. You can search to find your nearest solicitor.

For civil cases, find out how opponents have the right to object to an application for, or grant of, civil legal aid.

Legal profession

This section provides solicitors and advocates with the latest news and a wide range of useful legal aid resources, including:

the Scottish Legal Aid Handbook, including guidance on the changes to solemn criminal legal aid
forms
mailshots and guidance publications, including details of the Board's free in-house printing facility, the solemn fees Model Account and solemn fees FAQs.

LEGAL AID HELPLINE

To find out more about legal aid and if you may qualify, or where to find a legal aid solicitor or order our leaflets you can also call our Legal Aid Helpline on 0845 122 8686. (Please note that we do not provide legal advice. Calls are charged at local rate.)Please note that for training and monitoring purposes your call may be recorded.

Call recording - to help improve our communications we will be piloting call recording in our Criminal Applications Department from 22nd November 2010 - read mailshot

Access to information
We are committed to openness. Under the Freedom of Information laws, you can read our Publications Scheme and access materials we regularly publish - find out more.

You can use Browsealoud on this site. Browsealoud reads web pages aloud for people who find it difficult to read online - download the free service to let you listen.


	Legal Aid Online User login All legal aid applications must be made online from 1 April 2011 - click here to find out more.
	Dec 2010 - Reducing the Board's running costs Read more.
	Jobs To learn more about working at the Board and to access current vacancies at the Board; the Public Defence Solicitors' Office (PDSO); and the Civil Legal Assistance Office (CLAO), please visit our recruitment website www.slab-vacancies.org.uk.
	News 26th January 2012 - Mailshot sent to criminal practitioners - court duty scheme 2012-2013 application process 24th January 2012 - Police station duty scheme update 16th January 2012 - Police station duty scheme update 9th January 2012 - Police station duty scheme update 26th December 2011 - Police station duty scheme update 21st December 2011 - Police station duty scheme update 9th December 2011 - For information regarding the Board's business arrangements over the festive period please click here. 7th December 2011 - Stewarts, the printers used by the Board to print forms and leaflets, have entered into administration. Please do not send orders for forms and leaflets to Stewarts. Send your orders directly to us using the revised GEN/ORD form. Click here for further details. 5th December - Police station duty scheme update 28th November - Police station duty scheme update 21st November - Police station duty scheme update 14th November Police station duty scheme update 7th November Police station duty scheme update 24th October - Police station duty scheme update 18th October - Andrew Smith QC v Scottish Legal Aid Board - Opinion of Lord Menzies - statement by the Scottish Legal Aid Board 17th October 2011 - Police station duty scheme update 10th October - Police station duty scheme update 10th October - Nov/Dec - Important update sessions about online accounts - We will shortly be running online accounts roadshow sessions in your local area and would like to invite you to attend. Click here to read more. 3rd October - Police station duty scheme update 28th September - Police station duty scheme update 19th September - Police station duty scheme update 16th September - Board publishes Annual Report 2010-2011 Press release For more information see our annual report page 12th September - Police station duty scheme update 5th September - Police station duty scheme update - statement

	Tenders All Board tenders are published on the Scottish Procurement website www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk