Guidance to give callers on eligibility & finding a solicitor – or report issues finding a solicitor

Introduction explaining SLAB's function

Our main job is to assess applications for legal aid and pay solicitors for the work they do.
We are a funding body, not an advice body.
We are not allowed to give legal advice or to recommend to people a solicitor or someone that can assess their case.
We can only direct people to other sources of help.

What next?

Please try to assist the person with any queries they have around eligibility.
Alternatively, if the person has have used our eligibility estimators and would like more information you can point them to our website's eligibility enquires section.

What next?

Legal assistance is not always free and sometimes you will need to make a contribution towards the cost of your case.
Financial eligibility is just one of the tests for legal assistance. So even if you qualify financially there are additional tests which your case will need to satisfy.
You can use our eligibility estimators to work out if you are likely to qualify financially for legal assistance.
There is also more information on our website about legal aid and what you should do before contacting a solicitor.

What next?

Our Solicitor Finder tool can help you search for solicitors registered for legal aid who may be able to provide advice and represent you.
You can only apply for legal aid through a solicitor.
We do not provide legal advice.
The solicitor finder is supposed to be a helpful tool for people to contact firms who are registered with SLAB to carry out legal aid.
Solicitors can decide not to take on a case, even if they are registered.
This may be due to their workload at the time or for a range of other reasons.
Firms are entitled to do certain types of cases only. SLAB has no control over this.
More information: Find a solicitor FAQs

What next?

Our Solicitor Finder tool can help you search for solicitors registered for legal aid who may be able to provide advice and represent you.
You can only apply for legal aid through a solicitor.
We do not provide legal advice.
Please note: solicitors can decide if they are able to take your case or not - even if they are registered for legal aid.
More information: Find a solicitor FAQs

What next?

Information is available on mygov.scot about where you can find help with a legal problem if you are not financially eligible for legal aid. It also gives options for alternatives to using a solicitor.