Legal services for free - for whom and when?

Ostania aktualizacja 27 January 2023

Legal services for free – for whom and when? If you can’t afford legal advice or support in court, you can get free or cheaper help. You can use the following solutions:

legal assistance in the event of a serious problem;
free advice on reduced costs or a fixed fee from lawyers or charity advice;
free legal assistance from a trade union or other membership organization;
legal advice available with insurance policies;
websites that provide legal advice for free.

If you are arrested, you can get free legal advice from a lawyer before being questioned by the police – it doesn’t matter what your income is. Lawyers, legal advisors and tax advisors will provide you with free legal assistance before you go to court or when it does not require legal proceedings. You can get such help completely free of charge at 1,500 free legal services that are located throughout the country.

Spis

1 What exactly are legal services for free?

2 Who is entitled to free legal services?

3 Office lawyer

What exactly are legal services for free?

During such a free meeting, the lawyer will inform you about applicable laws as well as your rights and obligations. In addition, it will show you a possible way to resolve your doubts. At the same time, it will also help practically, that is, write a letter. Usually, legal services for free relate to simple matters, such as an application to the commune for the allocation of a social apartment, notification to the prosecutor’s office of a crime, etc.

In addition, if the case requires court proceedings, as part of free advice you will also receive a letter for exemption from court costs, appointment of a lawyer, etc. At the same time, it should be remembered that a lawyer does not provide assistance in preparatory or court proceedings that are already taking place. You can also get advice related to all branches of law. However, these will not be tips related to running a business, with the exception of those regarding preparation for running it.

Who is entitled to free legal services?

People who are under 26 or older than 65 can benefit from this type of counseling. Such a person may also have received social assistance benefits in the last 12 months, have a Large Family Card, be a veteran or veteran. People who are at risk or have already been injured as a result of a natural disaster and natural disaster can also apply for free counseling.

Before going to the meeting, first of all, prepare all documents related to your case, if they are in your possession. You should not forget about the document confirming the entitlement of free advice, for example an identity document. In special cases, it is sufficient to make an appropriate statement. Lawyers give their advice on a first-come, first-served basis, so it may happen that the waiting period will be slightly longer. There are at least two points of this type in every poviat in Poland. You can look for them in poviat starosties, commune offices, city offices. Such advice is completely free.

Since January 1, 2019, the conditions for receiving free legal services have changed. First of all, it is now sufficient to sign an appropriate statement that a given person cannot afford legal advice. Thus, the circle of people who can benefit from it has definitely been expanded. In addition, a person using such assistance may also be covered by free mediation. This is a way to resolve the dispute amicably. During the meeting, the lawyer will also inform the person about the costs of court proceedings and the risk of referring the case to court. Legal services for free also apply to people with disabilities, mobility and communication difficulties. In such a situation, such advice can be given outside the standard point and by means of distance communication.

Office lawyer

A person who cannot afford to hire a lawyer for a normal hourly rate or other work, can apply for an ex officio lawyer. Such a person will then become a representative whose task will be to represent the person in court proceedings. Anyone can apply for such help, but of course not all lawyers will be assigned for free. In this case, you must make a statement that you are not able to pay the costs of the lawyer’s fees. In the case of legal persons, a similar statement concerns the inability of the entity to finance the expenditure concerned.

To this end, an application is necessary which can be submitted together with an application for exemption from court costs, although it is not mandatory to combine these two cases. This matter shall be resolved by the court in which the matter is to be brought or is pending. The court will approve the application, provided that the participation of a lawyer or lawyer is really relevant to the case and the applicant’s financial situation does not actually allow for payment of the representative.