Legal aid

Legal aid means that the government covers all or part of an individual’s costs in a legal matter, primarily the cost of legal representation. In Sweden, provisions regarding legal aid are set forth in the Legal Aid Act (1996:1619). The most important form of legal aid is when the state pays the costs of a legal aid attorney. Once legal aid has been granted, the state also pays certain costs for evidence, etc. A person receiving legal aid does not need to pay any filing fee to the court. Legal aid may be granted to a natural person whose “financial means” do not exceed 260,000 SEK. Legal aid may also be granted to an estate if there are exceptional reasons. Under the Legal Aid Act, “financial basis” refers to the applicant’s estimated annual income after taking into account maintenance obligations, financial circumstances, and indebtedness. Legal aid may not be granted if the individual has legal expenses insurance or any other similar legal protection covering the matter. Compensation for the legal aid attorney’s work is capped at 100 hours. The court may, however, allow this limit to be exceeded. A person receiving legal aid must pay a legal aid fee, which is determined as a certain percentage of the costs depending on their income. The legal aid fee is paid to the legal aid attorney. Decisions on legal aid matters are made by a court or by the Legal Aid Authority.