Legal aid is financial support that is available in Germany to those in need in order to be able to conduct court proceedings. You can receive this as both plaintiff and defendant if you meet the requirements set out in §114 ff of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO). This means that you cannot bear the costs of court proceedings yourself, or can only bear some of them. The action must also have a reasonable prospect of success. You can also apply for legal aid for proceedings before the labor court.