Norway has a support system for people who need the support of a lawyer, but at the same time do not necessarily can afford his services. Who and in what situations is entitled to free legal aid?
What is the help?
The support in question can take two forms. One is the so-called fritt rettsråd. It consists in providing legal advice. The second is fri sakforsel and consists in representing or defending a given person during court trials. The entire system is referred to as fri rettshjelp.
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Free legal aid under fritt rettsråd includes, among others cases in the field of labor, family, civil and guardianship law. In this case, however, the provision of advice depends on the fulfillment of certain economic criteria. Advice is provided free of charge in criminal and immigration matters. But beware, matters related to road law are not subject to this type of reimbursement.
Who is eligible for free legal aid?
The economic criterion mentioned concerns the value of assets and income. The first one cannot be worth more than 100 crowns. In turn, income can amount to a maximum of 246 crowns per year for single people or 369 crowns in the case of marriages or civil partnerships (total for both people).
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How do I apply for free legal aid?
Applications can be submitted to any law firm dealing with a given field of law, including: tax return from the previous year and confirmation of the last three paychecks or bank statements. It is worth remembering that free legal assistance is not unlimited. The number of hours that are subject to reimbursement is limited by law and depends on the field the advice concerns.
Own contribution
It should be noted that as part of the cases covered by fritt rettsråd you must make an initial payment of NOK 1020. The exception is people with an annual income not exceeding 100 kronor - in their case, they are subject to free legal aid. In turn, in matters covered by fri sakforsel one quarter of the costs of representation by a lawyer must be covered. However, this amount has an upper limit of SEK 4950.
