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How do I qualify?

Financial eligibility limits
In order to qualify financially for legal services from the Board, you must satisfy a means test and your annual disposable income must be less than €18,000.

Your capital resources, other than your home, are taken into account also when assessing financial eligibility. If the value of those resources exceeds €320,000, you will not qualify for legal services from the Board.

Income
In order to calculate your disposable income, the Board will take your gross income (whether in the form of wages, salary or social welfare etc.,) and deduct from it certain allowances. The maximum allowances are as follows:

Allowances	Maximum amount
Dependent spouse / partner	€3,500
Adult and child dependants (per dependant)	€1,600
Accommodation costs	€8,000
Child care per child	€6,000
Income tax	full amount
PRSI	full amount
Ex gratia payments to applicant	€1,040

The amount of your income after these deductions will determine if you qualify for the Board's legal services. Child Benefit (and certain other payments) are not regarded as income for the purpose of assessing your gross income.

You will be required to produce documentary evidence of your income and evidence of accommodation and child care costs. The Board can request the Department of Social and Family Affairs to investigate your means, either when applying for, or in receipt of, legal services.

Capital
Your home is not considered as a capital resource for the purpose of the assessing your capital. Capital resources include other property, cars, cash, investments, and any other resource that has a value. Allowances are given for certain debts, such as credit union or bank loans that may be offset against capital for the purposes of calculating your disposable capital.