The Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) offers help in civil cases to people who fulfil their eligibility criteria. To qualify, the applicant must be either a citizen of Singapore or a Permanent Resident (PR).
Legal aid is not a free ticket; most applicants will have to pay something towards their costs based on a LAB assessment, and this depends on the complexity of the case. Usually, the amount required from the applicant won't exceed S$1,500; sometimes, the LAB allows this to be paid in instalments.
Certain civil proceedings are not included within the criteria, such as defamation cases and proceedings before the Small Claims Tribunal.
Applicants must pass a means test that considers their financial status and a merits test that looks at the case's chance of succeeding in court.
Since 16 October 2019, the LAB has had the discretion to assess the cases of applicants who pass the merits test but who do not pass the means test and grant legal aid regardless.