How do I apply for Legal Aid?

1. Overview of the legal aid application process?

*Please note that this is a general guide as to how the case is processed and is not intended to be an exhaustive description of the caseflow as the actual facts of each case will affect how it is dealt with.
2. How do I register for Legal Aid?
The first step is to come personally to LAB to register your application. The registration fee is $1.00 and you must bring your identity card.

Upon registration, our customer service officers will take you through the Means Test by asking you questions about your income and assets. If you satisfy the Means Test, you will be given a first appointment to attend at LAB for your statement to be taken.
3. What happens during my first appointment?
During your first appointment, your means will be reassessed by our Commissioner for Oaths. You will be required to swear a Statutory Declaration on your income and capital, and you will have to furnish LAB with relevant information on your case.

A person who knowingly makes any false statement or representation to LAB shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment of up to six months or to both.
4. What documents do I bring to my first appointment?
Please bring the following documents on your first appointment to enable us to process your case expeditiously:
- Your identity card
- Payslip/letter from your employer showing your income (and your spouse’s income if any) for the past 12 months
- CPF statement showing your contribution history for the past 12 months
- Latest income tax assessment
- Bank book/ statement of account/ fixed deposit receipts
- All other documents which are relevant to your case
You may download the following brochures which lists the documents you should bring with you for your first appointment:

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Download brochure in English & Mandarin
(534kb)

Download brochure in Malay & Tamil (501kb)
5. What other documents should I bring that may be relevant to my
case?
If the nature of your case falls within the following categories, please bring the listed documents as that will facilitate the processing of your case:

a) Divorce, Maintenance, Custody of Children, Personal Protection Order or Deed of Separation
- The original marriage certificate. If you do not have the original, please apply for a certified true copy at the Registry of Marriages and forward it to LAB
- Birth Certificates of all your children. If you do not have the original, please let us have photocopies thereof
- In cases where there has been an assault by your spouse,
  - Photocopies of police reports of assault by your spouse, if any. If you do not have the report, please provide the date of report and the Police Station or Neighbourhood Police Post where the report was made
  - Hospital, patient appointment cards, or receipts to show the dates on which you sought medical treatment for the assault
  - Names of witnesses to the assaults
- Receipts or other documents to show the payments for mortgage installments for the flat, power supply, telephone, property tax, school fees, etc.
- Any relevant Order of Court such as Personal Protection Order, Maintenance Order, Custody Order, Decree Nisi (a ruling by a Court that does not have any force until such time that a particular condition is met), or Certificate of Making Decree Nisi Absolute
b) Letters of Administration, Probate or Estate Matters
- Death Certificate of the Deceased
- Bank books, Title Deeds, Fixed Deposit Receipt, Safe Deposit Box Receipt, Insurance Policy and other documents evidencing the assets of the deceased
- Name, NRIC No. and address of a Co-Administrator if there is any beneficiary to the estate below 21 years of age.
- Any existing Grant of Letters of Administration or Probate and Schedule of Assets.
c) Adoption
- Birth Certificate of the child
- Photocopy of the NRICs of the natural parents
- Addresses/contact numbers of the natural parents
- Particulars of your other children, if any
d) Road Accident
- Police Reports
- Medical Cards to show the dates when medical treatment was sought
- Letters from Traffic Police or insurance company
- List of expenses or loss incurred by you as a result of the accident (e.g. medical receipts, costs of repair to vehicle, etc together with receipts)
- Names of witnesses to the accident
- In cases where death has occurred, to provide the Death Certificate and the Coroner’s Inquiry Number
e) Monetary Claim

Documents in support of your claim:
- Any written agreement relating to the claim
- Any document which shows receipt or payment of monies
- Any Order of Court relating to the claim
f) Tenancy Matters
- Rent receipts
- Property tax and other maintenance payments
- Tenancy Agreement
6. Will LAB represent me immediately after I have applied for aid or after
I have attended the first appointment?
No. At the first appointment, LAB will start investigating your case to determine whether you pass the Means Test and the Merits Test. LAB will only represent you after your case has been fully investigated, you have passed the Means Test, and the Legal Aid Board determines that you have also passed the Merits Test.
7. How long do I have to wait from the first appointment to the decision
of the Legal Aid Board?
This depends on the complexity of your case and the amount of time needed to investigate your case. In fairly simple cases, it will usually take about four months.