Can I get Legal Aid funding for bringing a claim against the police?
Legal Aid is available for certain claims against the police providing you meet the financial eligibility test as set by the Legal Aid Agency.
Ison Harrison are contracted with the Legal Aid Agency to provide services for actions against the police and will be able to assist you to navigate the application for funding process.
Legal Help is the first type of funding that you will apply for which covers the cost of either bringing a complaint against the police or to cover the costs of investigating the potential claim. It is important to remember that this type of funding is means tests.
If you are in receipt of a passported benefits (income support, universal credit, income based job seekers allowance, income related employment and support allowance or pension guarantee credit) and your savings do not exceed £6,000 then it is likely that you will be eligible for legal aid funding.
If you are not in receipt of these benefits we will need to carry out a full financial assessment before we can confirm your eligibility.
You can also check your eligibility yourself on the governments legal aid website https://www.gov.uk/check-legal-aid
If your case progresses to a stage where you either need advice from a specialist barrister, expert evidence or need to issue proceedings at court then we may also be able to apply for a Legal Aid Certificate to fund your claim. This is, again, means tested and the Legal Aid Agency will assess your entitlement, with or without any need to pay a contribution towards your funding certificate.
Alternatives…
If you are not eligible for legal aid we will consider whether your case is appropriate for us to offer to fund your case via a Conditional Fee Agreement (“no win no fee”) . This will largely depend on the merits of the claim.
If you contact our specialist Civil Liberties team our lawyers would be happy to assess your situation, through a free initial consultation, and then advise you on your options.
