Legal aid provides free legal services for vulnerable groups such as financial difficulties, and lawyers who provide legal aid may not charge any fees to their clients. Even if the office expenses such as transportation, meals and data copying are paid by the government.
(a) citizens can apply for legal aid as long as they meet the following conditions:
1, which has sufficient reasons to prove that it really needs legal help to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests;
2, due to economic difficulties, unable or completely unable to pay legal service fees; (The standards for citizens' financial difficulties shall be implemented by all localities with reference to the provisions of local government departments).
3. The application matters are in line with the scope of legal aid.
Who can apply for legal aid?
1. The disabled/minor defendant is blind, deaf, dumb or a minor, and has not entrusted a defender.
2. Article 55 of the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly stipulates that if it is really difficult for the elderly to file a lawsuit against their legitimate rights and interests, they can reduce, postpone or exempt the payment, and they can get legal aid.
3. Defendants who may be sentenced to death. If a criminal defendant who may be sentenced to death fails to entrust a defense lawyer, he shall obtain legal aid.
4. In foreign-related criminal cases, if the defendant of foreign nationality does not entrust a defender and the people's court appoints a lawyer to defend him, he can get legal aid.
The meaning of legal aid
Legal aid refers to a legal guarantee system that legal aid agencies set up by the government organize legal aid lawyers to provide free legal services for people with financial difficulties or special cases.
A special case refers to a case in which the criminal suspect or defendant is a mental patient who is blind, deaf, dumb or has not completely lost the ability to identify or control his own behavior, and has not entrusted a defender in accordance with the provisions of the second and third paragraphs of Article 34 of the Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC). People's courts, people's procuratorates and public security organs shall notify legal aid institutions to appoint lawyers to defend them.
I hope the above contents are helpful to you. Please consult a professional lawyer if you have any other questions.
Legal basis: Article 3 of the Regulations on Legal Aid The government is responsible for legal aid, and the people's governments at or above the county level shall take active measures to promote legal aid, provide financial support for legal aid, and ensure the coordinated development of legal aid and economy and society. The funds for legal aid shall be used for special purposes, and shall be subject to the supervision of the financial and auditing departments.