Law Weblog

Legal aid available across the EU

Legal aid for civil cases will be available across all EU member states following the European Legal Aid Directive and regulations that came into force on 1 December 2004.
Citizens from the UK and other EU country seeking legal aid in the UK will have to qualify under rules laid out in the UK domestic scheme and in the Directive. Legal aid will not be available to those people who can afford to pay for a lawyer, who have travel insurance that covers legal expenses or other means of paying for a lawyer for example if the claimant could use a conditional fee agreement. Cases that have little chance of success will not be funded.
A measure to simplify the mutual recognition of civil judgements and cross-border enforcement is under negotiation.