In Scotland, legal aid is funded by the Scottish Government with a view to enabling people who have a low income to access free legal advice.
Legal aid is not classed as a public fund for immigration purposes and can be accessed by a person regardless of their immigration status, including a person who is subject to the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition.
Legal aid services can only be provided via a solicitor in Scotland. Legal aid can be available for a variety of matters such as civil cases, children’s hearings, and advice and assistance. It is normally available to cover areas of law such as:
In Scotland, legal aid covers most immigration matters, which means that many people who are on a low income should be able to access free immigration legal advice.
For information about funding for legal advice see the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
