Estimator: children’s legal aid

This estimator helps you work out if you are likely to qualify financially for children's legal aid.

Once you complete these fields, an estimate will automatically be provided.

Step 1: Type of Case
For the purposes of the calculator it will be assumed that the person making the claim is an adult.
What type of case do you want to get help with?*
Help / Information

Types of Case

The letter you have received from SCRA should tell you what type of case this is.
Step 2: Household Situation
Tell us about your situation and any dependents living with you – this is a child or person(s) who has (have) no income of their own.
Do you have a partner or spouse?*
- Yes
- No
How many dependents (adults and/or children) live with you?
Help / Information
Partner

By 'partner', we mean someone you normally live with as a couple, whether you are:
- Married or not
- Of the same or different sex
If you have a partner, you must include their resources in the total figures, unless:
- You are living apart (Based on the definition above, this would be living apart because of special circumstances?)
- They are part of your legal problem
Allowances
- You are entitled to an allowance of £40.85 for your partner.
- You are entitled to an allowance for each dependent. By a dependent, we mean a child, or person living with you who has no income of their own.
- You are entitled to an allowance for each child or other dependent (other than your partner) of £65.62.
Step 3: Capital
Add up all your capital and that of your partner (unless we do not have to consider their resources - see the help information for step 2). The calculator will use this figure as your Total Disposable Capital. (If you are a pensioner, you may qualify even if your capital is more than £7,405 – speak to your solicitor about this.)
Total capital
Help / Information
We may take into consideration any capital disposed of when you were likely to be aware of your involvement in litigation, if we don’t consider the reasons given justified.

If you think this may be a situation that applies to you, you can contact us on 0131 226 7061 to check if you should include the capital in this calculation. Please ask to speak to either the criminal, civil or children's assessment team depending on what type of advice and assistance you are wanting to check your eligibility for.
Add up all your capital and that of your partner (unless we do not have to consider their resources - see the help information for step 2). The calculator will work out your allowances using what you told us at step 2 above

(If you are a pensioner, you may qualify even if your capital is more than £7,405 – speak to your solicitor about this.)

Total Capital

By capital we mean money and anything else of value you and your spouse or partner (if you have one) own.

Examples of capital include
- The value of any interest in land and buildings owned after the deduction of any loans secured on them, including interests in timeshares. We do not include the home you live in.
- Money in the bank, building society, Post Office, credit union, premium bonds etc.
- Investments, stocks and shares
- Cash-in values of any policies
- Money owed to you or your spouse or partner
- Money due from the will of someone who has died
- Money due from a trust fund
- Money available from your or your spouse’s or partner’s business or which could be borrowed against the business assets
- The value of any valuable possessions such as a boat, caravan, jewellery (but not wedding or engagement rings) or items bought for investment purposes
Capital not to be included
- The house which you live in
- Tools and equipment you need for work
- The value of any property or item you have an interest in which is being sought by the opponent in the action for which your civil application relates to will be disregarded for assessment purposes. However, we will only disregard the amount/share they are putting at issue. For example if you own 50% of a house or some savings and the opponent is asking for it to be split 60/40 in their favour only 10% of your share would be disregarded for assessment purposes.
Step 4: Income
If you receive any of the benefits below, you qualify automatically on income. You must then complete the next section to check if you qualify on capital.
Do you or your partner receive any of these benefits? Universal credit. Income support. Income-based jobseeker's allowance. Income-related employment and support allowance*
- Yes
- No
Help / Information
If you or your partner receive:
- Universal credit, or
- Income support, or
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance, or
- Income-related employment and support allowance
You qualify for advice and assistance on income - but you need to see if you qualify on capital.
Step 4a: Weekly Income
If you DO NOT receive any of the benefits above:

If you don't receive these benefits, please give us information below about your weekly income - this is the total income you and your partner receive in a week.

For example, enter your pay less tax and National Insurance contributions if you are employed plus any other income such as interest on savings.

Depending on your income, you may have to pay a contribution.

Please enter 0 in the "Your net weekly income" box if you do not receive an income.
Your net weekly income*
Your weekly allowances
This is calculated from the number of dependents in section 2.
Help / Information
Your net weekly income

We calculate your income on what you and your spouse or partner, if you have one, have received in the 7 days before being granted Legal Advice and Assistance by your solicitor.

You must include (rounded up or down to the nearest pound):
- Earnings after Income tax and National insurance deductions
- Drawings or profits from business
- Maintenance payments you receive from either an individual or through the Child Maintenance Service
- Statutory sick pay or maternity pay
- Pension payments
- Student grants
- Regular financial support from friends and family
- Income from savings and investments
- Dividends from shares
- Income from any other source<.li>
If your income is paid monthly multiply the amounts by 12 to calculate the annual figure then divide by 52 to calculate a weekly figure.

If your income is paid 4 weekly multiply the amounts by 13 to calculate the annual figure then divide by 52 to calculate a weekly figure.

Maintenance payments

If you pay maintenance, work out what you pay weekly. Do not include any Child Support Agency payments.
Step 4b: Weekly Outgoings
Please enter a value for your total weekly outgoings. Do not include general living expenses such as gas/electricity, clothes, petrol, credit cards, fines, mobile phone bills etc. as a standard allowance is given for these items.
Total weekly outgoings
Weekly disposable income
The amount of weekly disposable income is calculated dynamically based on your income, allowances and expenditure.
Help / Information
This is the total weekly outgoings for you and your partner.

This includes:
- Rent or board and lodgings
- Mortgage
- Council tax
- Loans
- Maintenance
- Child care payments
- Existing contributions
Step 5: Estimate
An estimate will be provided, when you have completed each of these fields:
- Type of case
You qualify for children's legal aid and you do not have to pay a contribution.
Based on the above figures, you are likely to qualify for children's legal aid and you do not have to pay a contribution.
Based on the above figures, you are likely to qualify for children's legal aid.

However, you will have to pay a contribution of TBC
You do NOT qualify for children's legal aid.
Based on the above figures you are unlikely to qualify for Children's legal aid.

However, you may still qualify but would have to meet a hardship test. Your solicitor should be able to help you with this.
If not claiming benefits, you must provide this information:
- Net weekly income
- Weekly outgoings
Remember that this estimator is only a guide as to whether you are likely to qualify financially for Legal Advice and Assistance and how much, if anything, you may be asked to pay as a contribution from your disposable income. Your solicitor will go through these figures with you if you go ahead with your application, and will be able to tell you if you are eligible. You can also call us on 0131 226 7061 - please ask to speak to either the criminal, civil or children's assessment team depending on what type of advice and assistance you are wanting to check your eligibility for.

If you decide to apply for Legal Advice and Assistance, you will need to take proof (for example payslips, benefit letters, bank statements etc.) of your income and capital with you to your first appointment with your solicitor as they are required by law to satisfy themselves that you are financially eligible. Where you have a spouse or a partner you must also take proof of their income and capital as their resources may require to be taken into account when assessing your financial eligibility to receive legal advice and assistance.

At the end of your action, if you are successful in receiving or keeping an award of money or property, you may be asked to make further payment to cover the cost of your solicitor’s account from that money or property.
Hidden Variables
The field names for each of the hidden variables should be self-descriptive. If the number of allowance brackets change, this form will need rewritten. If the number of brackets sstays the same, but the limits change, then just adapt the variables accordingly. Use numbers, not currency.
Hidden Calculations
All of the below is where the "magic" happens. Note the followning. 1. There is a JS file in /resources/assets/js/gravity-extras.js, which communicates with these variables. It was not possble to do everything we needed in Gravity Forms alone. This is an uncompiled file, so gulp will need to run before changes will be committed to the front-end version of the site. 2. The HTML content blocks above include a couple of spans with unique IDs. If you choose to remove those Spans, then the user will never see the outputs from the contribution scales.
Weekly disposable income (hidden)
Calculated here, and the gravity-extras.js JQUERY is then used to populate the publicly visible version. DO NOT EDIT OR DELETE THIS.
Disposable income less maximum disposable
The maximum_disposable_income is divided by 52. If their weekly_income is more than this, then no legal aid.
Disposable income less minimum disposable
The minimum_disposable_income is divided by 52. If their weekly_income is less than this, then full legal aid is available (if not ruled out on capital). If their weekly_income is greater than this, and less than "capital less maximum disposable capital", then they will need to pay a contribution.
Capital less maximum disposable capital
Is contribution required
This is calculated using jQuery. Basically if they have a disposable income greater than minimum_disposable_income / 52, then this is a positive value.

Find a solicitor

Use our Solicitor Finder tool to search for registered solicitors who may be able to provide advice and represent you in your case.

Estimator: children’s legal aid

Step 1: Type of Case

Step 2: Household Situation

Step 3: Capital

Step 4: Income

Step 4a: Weekly Income

Step 4b: Weekly Outgoings

Step 5: Estimate

Hidden Variables

Hidden Calculations

Find a solicitor