Free legal aid is free or low-cost legal help from the state. Some cases are free regardless of income, others require that your income is below a certain threshold. You apply through a lawyer or at the State Governor's office (Statsforvalteren).
What is free legal aid?
Free legal aid is legal help that the state pays for, in whole or in part. The scheme is covered by the Free Legal Aid Act (the Law on Free Legal Aid from 1980), which was amended on October 15, 2025. The help applies to people who live or stay in Norway, including immigrants.
The help comes in two forms:
- Free legal advice is legal help outside the courts. A lawyer gives you advice, writes letters, or negotiates on your behalf.
- Free legal representation in court is legal help in a case that goes to the courts, that is, in court.
The aim is that everyone should have equal access to the law, even those who cannot afford a lawyer. This is an important part of the courts and the rule of law in Norway and of human rights in Norway.
You do not need to be a Norwegian citizen to get free legal aid. What matters is what kind of case you have, and in some cases how much you earn. Below you can see the two main categories: cases that are free for everyone, and cases where your income decides.
When do you get free legal aid regardless of income?
Some cases give free legal aid for free, no matter how much you earn. These are called priority cases and have no means-testing. Means-testing means that the state checks your finances before you get help.
Priority cases without means-testing include, for example:
- child protection cases where a child is removed urgently, or where child protection services consider taking over custody
- violence and abuse in close relationships, for example between spouses, cohabitants or parents and children, including rape
- forced marriage
- victim compensation for violence
- compensation for wrongful prosecution
- patient injury
In these cases you also do not pay any out-of-pocket cost. The rules are designed to protect people in vulnerable situations, so that poor finances never stop anyone from getting help.
Some immigration cases are also priority cases. This includes, for example, appeals against asylum rejections and cases about deportation. Then you get help without your income being checked. If you are unsure, a lawyer or a free legal aid scheme can tell you which category your case belongs to.
Means-tested: when your income decides
Most other cases are means-tested. Then the help depends on your finances.
From October 15, 2025, the state looks at your payment capacity, not just fixed income and asset limits. Payment capacity is calculated from your income plus half of your assets, divided by the National Insurance basic amount. If you have children under 18, this is automatically deducted.
From May 1, 2025, you lose the right to free legal aid if your payment capacity is higher than five times the National Insurance basic amount. This equals 650,800 kroner per year for a single person without assets. For couples and cohabitants, finances are counted together. If you are unsure, you can use the free legal aid calculator at the State Governor's office.
Typical means-tested cases are divorce and separation, parental responsibility and access to children, dismissal from work or housing, and appeals about benefits or pensions. Some cases about family reunification and other immigration cases can also give free legal aid.
| Case type | Free legal aid |
|---|---|
| Child protection (urgent removal, taking over custody) | Free, without means-testing |
| Violence in close relationships, rape | Free, without means-testing |
| Forced marriage | Free, without means-testing |
| Victim compensation for violence | Free, without means-testing |
| Divorce, parental responsibility, access to children | Means-tested (income decides) |
| Dismissal from work or housing | Means-tested |
| Appeal about benefits or pensions | Means-tested |
Out-of-pocket cost is the part of the bill you pay yourself. You pay no out-of-pocket cost if the case is not means-tested, or if your payment capacity is lower than the National Insurance basic amount. Otherwise the out-of-pocket cost increases gradually, from a small to a larger part of the cost.
Also be aware of one rule: if the case gives you a larger amount or clearly better finances, the state can require you to pay back all or part of the help. For most people this does not happen, but it is good to know in advance.
How do you apply for free legal aid?
You usually apply through a lawyer. In many cases the lawyer can assess and approve free legal aid directly, and apply on your behalf.
In other cases you send your own application to the State Governor's office (Statsforvalteren) in the county where you live. You do this digitally with ID-porten, and the system automatically retrieves your financial information. The State Governor's office is the state's regional office and processes your application.
A good tip: always ask the lawyer about free legal aid at the first meeting, before work starts. This avoids surprises on the bill. Applying costs nothing, and you do not need to have an ongoing court case to ask for advice. Bring ID and documents that show your case, such as letters, decisions or contracts. If you get a rejection on your application, you can appeal.
Free help from law students
You can also get free legal help from student-run free legal aid schemes, regardless of income. They are run by law students and help ordinary people.
- Jussbuss (Oslo) helps with employment law, housing, debt, benefits, immigration law and prison cases.
- JURK (Legal Advice for Women) helps women throughout the country, without income limits.
- Jusshjelpa i Nord-Norge helps people in the north, but also takes cases from the rest of the country.
- Jussformidlingen (Bergen) provides free legal advice.
These offers are a good place to start if you are unsure whether you have a case. You can read more about the scheme on snl.no.
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