Criminal legal aid

Public funding that pays for a defence solicitor, and sometimes a barrister, if you are charged with a crime and pass the legal aid tests.

Criminal legal aid pays for legal representation in criminal cases. Advice at the police station is free for everyone. Once you are charged, legal aid for court is granted by a representation order if you pass two tests. The interests of justice test asks whether representation is needed, for example because you could go to prison, lose your job or face a complicated case. The means test looks at your household income and, in the Crown Court, your capital. People under 18, and people receiving certain benefits such as Universal Credit, automatically pass the magistrates' court means test. In the Crown Court you may have to pay contributions from income during the case, and from capital if convicted; income contributions are refunded with interest if you are acquitted. A solicitor usually makes the application for you, and it helps to apply as early as possible.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.