Legal Aid is funded by the Legal Services Commission (LSC), and the Community Legal Service (CLS). Harris + Harris hold the LSC Quality Mark, and can provide Legal Aid on cases for which it is available. We will advise you at our first meeting if your case might be funded by Legal Aid, and whether it is likely to meet the criteria in the LSC Funding Code.

If your case comes within the LSC Funding Code you will be subject to a means test. We will need to work this out at our first meeting. You must bring with you paperwork which shows all your (and your partners) income and outgoings for the last month, which we will copy and return to you. If you do not bring this we may not be able to provide you with Legal Help, and may have to ask you to come in again before we can do any work for you. Again there are exceptions if the problem is urgent.

Please bring with you any of the following that apply to you: -

• Proof of all Benefits, whatever they are.
• Pay slips for the past month.
• Proof of Child or Family Tax Credit.
• If you are self employed - accounts or tax assessments
• Any CSA Assessment/payments
• Bank or Building Society statement showing Mortgage Payments
• Rent Book or Receipts
• Proof of Housing Benefit
• A letter or Court Order confirming any maintenance paid or received.

You will qualify if you or your partner receives Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, or Guarantee State Pension Credit. If not, you will be eligible if your "disposable income" is less than a set figure after allowances are made for Income Tax, NI, maintenance paid, housing and childminding costs and any payments made by anyone on your behalf. There are also fixed allowances for work expenses, and dependants. If you have a partner (married or living together) you will be assessed together, unless their interests differ from yours. You will not be eligible if your gross income exceeds £2,435 per month, (higher if you have 5 children or more) and there are also capital limits. There are some exceptions for pensioners and domestic violence cases.

You can check your eligibility for Legal Aid at the CLS website : - www.clsdirect.org.uk