Legal Aid South Africa: Who Qualifies for Free Legal Help, the Means Test and How to Apply
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What Legal Aid South Africa Does
Legal Aid South Africa (Legal Aid SA) is a public body set up under the Legal Aid South Africa Act 39 of 2014. It pays for lawyers for people who cannot pay for their own, in criminal cases and in many civil cases. It focuses on vulnerable people, including women, children, older people, people with disabilities and the rural poor.
If Legal Aid SA agrees to take your case, you pay nothing. Its lawyers may not ask you for money or accept money from you. If anyone asks you to pay for legal aid, report it to the Legal Aid SA Fraud and Ethics Hotline on 0800 153 728.
The Constitution also says that a person accused of a crime has the right to a lawyer paid for by the state if “substantial injustice” would otherwise result.
Legal Aid SA Contact Numbers
| What you need | Contact |
|---|---|
| Legal Aid Advice Line (free) | 0800 110 110, Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 19:00 |
| Please Call Me | 079 835 7179 |
| Fraud and Ethics Hotline (someone asked you to pay) | 0800 153 728 |
| [email protected] | |
| Find an office | legal-aid.co.za/find-us (offices listed by province) |
You can also ask an adviser to phone you back through the “legal advice” page on legal-aid.co.za. Legal Aid SA has offices in all nine provinces. Office details change from time to time: for example, from 2 November 2026 the Potchefstroom office moved to the Koedoe Building, 3rd Floor, 10 Auto Avenue, Potchefstroom. Check the office list or phone the Advice Line before you travel.
Do You Qualify? The Legal Aid Means Test 2026
Legal Aid SA uses a means test to check that its help goes to people who cannot pay a lawyer. It looks at what you earn each month after tax and what you own. These are the limits for new applications from 1 April 2026:
| Means test 2026 | You qualify if | Limit before 1 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single person (criminal and civil cases) | You earn less than R9,400 a month after tax | R9,100 |
| Household (civil cases, you live with a spouse or share costs) | Your household earns less than R10,200 a month after tax | R9,900 |
| Land cases (individual) | You earn less than R13,625 a month after tax | Not given |
| Assets if you do not own a house | Your belongings are worth R173,300 or less | R167,900 |
| Assets if you own a house | Your house and belongings together are worth R812,800 or less (one house only, and you must live in it) | R787,600 |
A household means people who live together more than four nights a week and share living costs. Legal Aid SA said it raised the limits on 1 April 2026 in line with inflation (CPI), so that more people can get help as the cost of living goes up.
SASSA grants do not count as income
If you get a SASSA grant, you still fill in the means test, but the grant money is not counted as income. Legal Aid SA may ask you for proof of the grant. If you need a letter or confirmation from SASSA, see our SASSA contact numbers.
Who qualifies without a means test
- Children in criminal cases qualify automatically.
- In civil cases that involve a child, the child’s family must pass the means test.
If you earn a little more than the limit
The Legal Aid regulations let Legal Aid SA use its discretion. It may still give you free help if your income is up to R3,000 a month above the limit, or your assets are up to R100,000 above it. It can also help a person who fails the means test but is very poor and whose situation “deserves sympathetic consideration”. Ask about this when you apply. It is not automatic.
Foreign nationals
People who are not South African citizens can get legal aid in criminal cases, children’s cases and asylum cases. They cannot get legal aid in other civil cases.
What Cases Legal Aid SA Takes
| Type of case | Examples of what Legal Aid SA may help with |
|---|---|
| Criminal cases | A defence lawyer if you are charged with an offence such as theft, assault, fraud, robbery, rape or murder; appeals against a conviction or sentence; wrongful arrest or assault by the police |
| Family matters | Being refused contact with your child, abuse by a husband or wife, adopting younger brothers or sisters after your parents died |
| Evictions and housing | Being evicted without a court order or notice, a landlord who will not pay back your deposit, a title deed in someone else’s name |
| Employment | A lawyer in the Labour Court and the Labour Appeal Court, enforcing a CCMA award, farm workers’ rights under the Labour Relations Act and ESTA |
| Contract problems | Disputes about agreements you signed |
Even when you pass the means test, Legal Aid SA still decides whether your case has merit and whether it falls within its rules. In civil cases, if you win money, the legal costs are taken off the award before you are paid.
What Legal Aid SA Does Not Help With
- It does not represent you at CCMA or bargaining council conciliation and arbitration. Start your dismissal or labour dispute at the CCMA yourself. If the case goes to the Labour Court, Legal Aid SA may then help.
- It does not take traffic offences, cases about not sending in tax returns, or inquests.
- Criminal defamation, public indecency and contempt of court cases are not always covered.
- It will not help in civil cases if you are not a South African citizen (apart from children’s and asylum cases).
- Criminal matters not on its list are left out, unless Legal Aid SA uses its discretion because the case is complex or serious, or because a “substantial injustice” would otherwise result.
If your problem is about UIF money, the Department of Employment and Labour handles that. See our UIF contact numbers.
How to Apply for Legal Aid in South Africa
- Phone the Advice Line on 0800 110 110 (or send a Please Call Me to 079 835 7179). An adviser will tell you if Legal Aid SA can help with your problem and where to go.
- Go to the Legal Aid SA office the adviser names.
- Fill in the means test form. A Legal Aid SA official can help you with it.
- Legal Aid SA decides if you qualify and if it can take your case. If it can, a lawyer is given to your case at no cost to you.
- Keep every appointment and stay in touch with your lawyer.
What to take with you
- Your ID (smart ID card, green ID book or any other identity document you have)
- Proof of what you earn, for example a payslip, or a letter if you are not working
- Proof of a SASSA grant, if you get one
- Every paper about your case: the charge sheet, summons, court order, eviction notice, letter from your employer or lease
Taking these papers on the first visit saves time, because the official needs to understand your money and your case.
If you are turned down
You can appeal. The appeal goes first to the Legal Aid SA Provincial Executive in your province. If that fails, it goes to the National Operations Executive for criminal cases or the Chief Legal Executive for civil cases. Ask the office or the Advice Line how to send your appeal.
Common Problems and What to Do
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Someone says you must pay to get a Legal Aid lawyer | Do not pay. Legal aid is free. Report it on 0800 153 728 |
| You earn slightly more than R9,400 | Apply anyway and ask Legal Aid SA to use its discretion |
| You get a grant and think it will count against you | SASSA grants are not counted as income. Take proof of the grant |
| You were dismissed and want a Legal Aid lawyer at the CCMA | Legal Aid SA does not do CCMA hearings. Refer your case to the CCMA yourself, then ask Legal Aid SA if it goes to the Labour Court |
| You cannot get through on the phone | Send a Please Call Me to 079 835 7179 or use the call-back form on legal-aid.co.za |
Legal Aid South Africa Questions
Is legal aid free in South Africa?
Yes. If Legal Aid SA accepts your case, you pay nothing and its lawyers may not ask you for money. In a civil case that you win, the legal costs come off the money you are awarded.
How do I qualify for legal aid in South Africa?
From 1 April 2026, you must earn less than R9,400 a month after tax as a single person, or less than R10,200 as a household in a civil case. Your belongings must be worth R173,300 or less, or R812,800 or less including your house if you own one. Children in criminal cases qualify automatically.
How do I apply for legal aid in South Africa?
Phone the Advice Line on 0800 110 110 (Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 19:00). An adviser will tell you which office to go to. There you fill in the means test form, and Legal Aid SA decides if it can take your case.
What is the Legal Aid South Africa contact number?
The free Advice Line is 0800 110 110. The Please Call Me number is 079 835 7179, and the Fraud and Ethics Hotline is 0800 153 728.
Does Legal Aid SA help with family problems?
Legal Aid SA may help with family matters such as contact with your child or abuse by a spouse, if you pass the means test and your case has merit. Phone the Advice Line to ask about your own case. To claim child maintenance, you can apply yourself at the magistrate’s court without a lawyer: see our maintenance court guide.
More: SASSA contact numbers, UIF contact numbers and how to check your SASSA grant status.