Legal aid is a system established by the state to provide free legal consultation, criminal defense and other legal services for citizens with financial difficulties and other parties who meet the statutory requirements, and is an integral part of the public legal service system. Citizens who want to obtain legal aid must apply to the county-level judicial administrative body, that is, the judicial bureau.
To apply for legal aid, certain conditions must be met, first of all, the condition is that there is no client in financial difficulties, and at the same time, one of the following nine circumstances must be met: (1) Requesting state compensation in accordance with law; (2) Requests for social insurance benefits or social assistance; (3) Request for the payment of a bereavement pension; (4) Requests for the payment of alimony, child support, or alimony; (5) Requesting confirmation of labor relations or payment of labor remuneration; (6) Requesting a determination that a citizen lacks or has limited capacity for civil conduct; (7) Requesting compensation for personal injuries caused by work-related accidents, traffic accidents, food and drug safety accidents, or medical accidents; (8) Requesting compensation for damages for environmental pollution or ecological damage; (9) Other circumstances provided for by laws, regulations, or rules. Second, there are five situations in which legal aid can be applied for without being restricted by financial hardship: (1) the close relatives of heroes and martyrs are protecting the personality rights and interests of heroes and martyrs; (2) Asserting relevant civil rights and interests as a result of acts of righteousness and courage; (3) Request for state compensation after retrial to change the verdict of not guilty; (4) Victims of abuse, abandonment, or domestic violence assert relevant rights and interests. (5) Other circumstances provided for by laws, regulations, or rules.