Eligibility for Civil Legal Aid

If you are in receipt of one of the following Isle of Man benefits then you will automatically qualify for free legal aid:  

• Employed Person’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance

If you are not in receipt of one of the above benefits, the Legal Aid Office will need to calculate your net resources to determine whether you are financially eligible to receive legal aid.

You can also use our online calculator. This will give you an indication as to whether you are likely to pass the financial test or not.

The Legal Aid Office applies two tests to your application, the Financial Means and Legal Merits Test. Your application must pass both tests in order for legal aid to be granted.

See also Prescribed Amounts

Financial Means and Legal Merits Test

Before legal aid can be granted, every legal aid application must pass both tests:

• Financial means test to determine whether your resources mean that, according to the law, you cannot afford to pay for legal representation
• Legal merits test to determine whether it is reasonable for your legal representation to be funded publicly

If you are unhappy with the decision you can ask for our decisions reviewed.

Further details in relation to review and appeal procedures are included within the guidance booklet.