How to Apply for Free Legal Advice in Ireland
- 1). Go to your local Citizens Information office. Citizens Information is a public agency set up to help Irish citizens with advice about the many social services and other issues affecting the population. Citizens Information can provide help for questions ranging from job loss to legal situations. The agency has offices throughout Ireland. The staff can tell you what the most suitable options are for you, specific to your circumstances. Citizens Information has a LoCall phone number: 1890-777-121.
- 2). Contact FLAC. FLAC is a free legal advice service for everyone in Ireland. They state that they can answer your questions, but they are unable to provide you with representation. Talk to more than one service to get a full picture of how your situation stands and what steps you should take. FLAC has a LoCall number that you can call for initial legal advice. From there your phone consultant may recommend that you visit one of their offices in person. Call FLAC at 1890-350-250.
- 3). Contact the Legal Aid Board. The Legal Aid Board provides free legal advice and representation to those who satisfy a means test. Your income must not be more than 18,000 euros a year, as of 2010, according to the Legal Aid Board. The value of your home is not taken into consideration for the means test. Civil legal help from the Legal Aid Board is not entirely free in Ireland, but the fee is not exhorbitant. The minimum you would pay is 10 euros for advice and 50 euros for aid.
- 4). Fill in the Legal Aid Board's application form. The form asks questions about your income and circumstances. Send the completed form to your nearest law centre, found on the Legal Aid Board's website.
- 5). Apply for criminal legal aid if you face a possible prison sentence. In Ireland, a District Court judge must, by law, inform if you are eligible to apply for free legal aid. When the judge tells you this on your first appearance in court, you can then say that you want to apply. Citizens Information states that the government must provide you with free legal representation in a criminal case if you cannot afford to pay a lawyer yourself. The judge will decide if your application for free legal aid fits the eligibility requirements.