This section tells people about the types of legal assistance available under legal aid. It also includes information on our customer service standards and how to make a complaint.
Class C1
Information for the public about applying for legal aid
Definition
Information about the legal assistance available under legal aid.
Notes and examples
Legal aid allows people who would not otherwise be able to afford it to get help with their legal problems. The Board can provide funding to help people who qualify to get legal advice and ‘representation’ (where a solicitor puts their case in court).
All the current information and guidance the Board publishes for the public on legal aid is available. This includes guidance to the public on how to apply for legal aid, advice and assistance and how it may affect them. This information is available in "Getting Legal Help."
Single copies of printed leaflets or online at www.slab.org.uk
Information in this category is also available on request in the other languages and formats, which can include : Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Bengali, Urdu, Chinese, Gaelic, Turkish, Braille and large print. Other languages may also be available on request.
Other
Online at www.slab.org.uk and single printed copies of material that is on
our website
Charge
Free
Class C2
Information for the public about finding a solicitor
Definition
Legal firms who offer legal aid services must be registered with the Board. We publish current editions of:
the Criminal Legal Assistance Register, which shows those solicitors registered to undertake criminal legal assistance at the address of their firm’s main office
the Civil Legal Assistance Register, which shows firms of solicitors who are registered to provide civil legal assistance and/or children’s legal aid.
This information is used to provide a "find my nearest" mapping service on the Board's website.
Web format at www.slab.org.uk Printed copies available for inspection. We can supply printed excerpts on request.
Other
We update this information regularly and we will provide the current published edition.
Charge
Free
Class C3
Customer service
Definition
Information on the Board’s current service standards for customer groups
Notes and examples
The Board’s service standards set out the service each of our customer groups can expect at each stage of their dealings with us, including how long it will take us to do things. The service standards form our performance indicators, which we set out in our Corporate Plan, and we report on our performance against these targets each year in our Annual Report.
Information is also available for solicitors seeking a review of a decision to grant or refuse legal aid. This is shown in the current Scottish Legal Assistance Handbooks.
