Legal Aid

Legal aid is available to people who otherwise would not be able to afford legal advice or an advocate to represent them in court.

• This service is free of charge
• Legal Aid is only available to individuals
• Legal Aid is not available to companies, businesses, clubs or firms
• Legal Aid is only available for cases which are being processed in the Isle of Man and are subject to Manx Law

There is no residency qualification, so legal aid on the Isle of Man can be granted to someone who lives in another jurisdiction. 

Whether a person qualifies or not depends on their financial position, and whether they have good cause to pursue their case. An advocate can advise an applicant about what sort of help is available.

Civil Legal Aid availability

Civil legal aid is available for most proceedings in the Isle of Man High Court including:

• personal injury
• medical negligence
• possession and family matters
• domestic proceedings (in the Summary Courts)

It is also available for some other proceedings such as:

• Inquests
• Mental Health Review Tribunals
• Advocates Disciplinary Tribunals
• Data Protection Tribunals

If you are unsure whether legal aid is available for your case please contact the Legal Aid Office.

ALL applications for civil legal aid must be submitted to the Legal Aid Office through an Isle of Man Advocate, therefore the first thing you must do is approach an Advocate. If you do not have an advocate and the matter is a civil one, please view the list of approved panel of Advocates.

Legal Aid for Criminal Matters is designed to financially assist people who have been charged with a criminal offence and are unable to afford the services of an Advocate. This offence is usually when a prosecution has been brought by either the Police or another appropriate authority.