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As of today, 1 April 2026, the Legal Aid SA Means Test has been revised upwards in line with the Consumer Price Index, in response to ongoing economic hardship and the rising cost of living, enabling access to legal services to a wider group of people.
Legal Aid SA considers what applicants earn, after tax, and own:
- Applications for legal aid in criminal/civil cases – applicants must earn less than R9,400 per month.
- Applications for legal aid in civil cases where the applicant is a member of a household – applicants must earn less than R10,200 per month.
- If an applicant owns movable assets, they must not be worth more than R173,300.
- If an applicant owns immovable assets, they must not be worth more than R812,800.
In criminal cases, children continue to automatically qualify for legal aid and do not have to undergo a Means Test.
In civil cases where a child requires legal representation, the family of the child will need to take and pass the Means Test.
Clients who exceed the Means Test may, in exceptional circumstances and having considered Legal Aid SA’s internal capacity, be granted legal aid, subject to the payment of contributions towards the legal costs.
If you have any questions, you can call our Advice Line on 0800 110 110, weekdays between 7am and 7pm. If you cannot call, send a Please Call Me to 079 835 7179 and we will call you back.
You can also read more on our website: legal-aid.co.za/how-it-works/
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