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Alternatives to legal aid
If your application for legal aid isn't successful or you don't want to pay towards the costs of legal aid, you have other options.
For example:
- there could be ways to get free or cheaper advice to get help with a legal problem
- sometimes there are cheaper ways to sort out problems before a case goes to court – for example, you could find a mediator (when an impartial person helps you come to an agreement) from the Scottish Mediation Network or Relationships Scotland
- you could pay for a private solicitor to give you legal help
Even if you think you'll need to pay for legal advice or representation at court from a private solicitor, getting free advice could be a good way to talk through your options first.
You could try:
- your local Citizens Advice Bureau
- Shelter Scotland for housing issues
- a money advice centre
Or a law centre, they have solicitors and other advisers who can give you free legal advice.