Legal aid is the use of government money to pay for people to receive legal advice and representation. All parents whose children are subject to care proceedings automatically get free legal aid to cover the cost of a solicitor advising and representing them. And other costs relating to their case such as the cost of interpreters. Or having an expert to prepare an assessment report.
Other people with parental responsibility for a child who is the subject to care proceedings are also entitled to free legal aid.
This type of legal aid parents (and others with parental responsibility) get is called ‘non-means and non-merits tested’ legal aid. This means that it does not matter what the parent earns, or what savings they have. The strength of their case is also irrelevant. They will still receive free legal aid for their case.
If care proceedings have been started (‘issued’) or a parent thinks or has been told they may be they should seek legal advice urgently. They should look for a solicitor who is a specialist in children law or who has ‘Children Law Accreditation’. To find a solicitor, search using the ‘how to find a solicitor’ function on the Law Society website.
See our Working with a solicitor guide on our Top tips and templates page for more information about finding and working with a solicitor.