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Eligibility calculator
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About the calculator
The financial eligibility calculator for criminal legal aid is designed as a support tool for legal practitioners.
It can work out if an applicant is likely to pass or fail the means test for legal aid in the magistrates' court and/or pay a contribution if their case is in the Crown Court. This gives you an indication of your client's likely position before the means test is carried out at court.
The calculator is free of charge. It can be accessed in the document section of this page.
Guidance on the means test can be found in the Criminal Legal Aid Manual.
When to use the calculator
You can use the calculator before an application for legal aid (CDS14 and/or CDS15) is submitted to the magistrates' court.
The calculator may be particularly useful when trying to estimate eligibility for more complex means cases or to estimate contribution levels in the Crown Court.
How to use the calculator
You can access the calculator in Microsoft Excel and
- use it online by clicking on the link
- or downloading it onto a computer and use it offline.
You'lll also need to make sure that macros have been enabled. Depending on your IT security settings, you may need to manually enable macros when you open the document.
The calculator is simple to use. It will ask a number of questions before it provides an answer. The first page of the calculator gives user instructions.
If you use the calculator online, the information is not saved. If you want to keep a copy of your results, please print them.
If you have any questions about how to use the calculator, email ccmt@legalservices.gsi.gov.uk
Last updated: 29 March 2011