What if my legally aided case is now finished?

Depending on the type of legal assistance you require, there is usually a condition that you tell us – at the earliest opportunity – if there has been a change in your financial circumstances while you are in receipt of legal aid. Changes we’d expect to be reported can include:

• moving in with a partner
• adjustments in your benefits and/or employment
• receiving an inheritance.

This condition is within the declaration section of the application form. If you are unsure if a change is relevant, please contact us to discuss.

A change may mean that you are no longer financially eligible for legal aid or that a reassessment is required. This might impact any contribution you may be making towards your solicitor’s bill. It is important that you let us know about any changes in your circumstances while you are receiving legal aid, including if you change address.

Assurance often carry out retrospective checks looking at historical legal aid applications. So we may contact you about a case which is over. Even if your case has finished, Assurance will still be looking to verify financial eligibility for the period in which legal aid was being used.

Although your solicitor may have stopped working on the case, if requested information is not provided, we will still stop the grant of legal aid. This will prevent your solicitor from using the same legal aid cover for any future work connected to this case. Again, SLAB can recover all the money paid to your solicitor under the grant(s) of legal aid.