Legal Help and Help at Court can only be provided by a solicitor like us who has a contract with the LSC. We can give general advice, write letters, negotiate, get a barrister's opinion and prepare a written case if you have to go before a court or tribunal.

We can also provide Help at Court, which means that we can appear in court on your behalf at a particular hearing, without formally acting for you in the whole proceedings. One example where this level of service might be available would be for an application to suspend a warrant for possession in a housing case. You must satisfy a financial eligibility test for these levels of service.

These two levels of service enable a person of moderate means to get help from us until his/her charges reach a total of £500 (the figure is higher for immigration asylum cases). Once the costs limit is reached, we can only carry out further work at this level with the authority of the LSC regional office.

The Criminal Defence Service (CDS), administered by the Legal Services Commission replaced the old system of criminal legal aid on 2 April 2001. The purpose of the CDS is to ensure that people suspected or accused of a crime have access to advice, assistance and representation, as the interests of justice require.

Since 2 April 2001, private practice solicitors' offices must hold a General Criminal Contract to carry out criminal defence work funded by the Commission. Firms are audited against the Contract to ensure they continue to meet quality assurance standards.

Legal advice at the police station is free from us, as our office is contracted with the Legal Services Commission, whatever your income and capital/savings.