Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle): eligibility, income ceilings and how to apply
Published on 07/07/2026
Bringing or facing legal proceedings has a cost: lawyer's fees, commissaire de justice fees, expert assessments… So that a lack of means does not deprive anyone of access to a judge, legal aid (aide juridictionnelle, AJ) allows the State to cover all or part of these costs. Here, in a documentary way, is how it works, who can benefit from it and how to apply for it.
What is legal aid?
Provided for by Law No. 91-647 of 10 July 1991 on legal aid, legal aid covers the costs of proceedings before all courts (family court judge, judicial court, labour court, administrative courts…), whether you are the claimant or the defendant, and also covers certain amicable methods (mediation, settlement).
It may be full (the State pays 100% of the costs covered) or partial (the State pays a share) depending on your resources.
Who can benefit?
Three conditions apply together:
- Nationality or residence: being French, a European Union national, or a foreigner habitually and lawfully resident in France (exceptions exist, notably for minors and certain proceedings).
- Resources below the ceilings (see the scale below).
- An admissible action: aid may be refused if the action is manifestly inadmissible or unfounded (this reservation does not apply when you are the defendant or on appeal).
Another point to check: if legal expenses insurance (often included in a home insurance policy or a bank card) already covers these costs, legal aid is not intended to take its place.
Resource ceilings (2026 scale)
Eligibility is calculated from the reference tax income (revenu fiscal de référence, RFR) — the line shown on your income tax notice — and from your assets. For a single person, under the scale in force in 2026:
| Annual reference tax income | State coverage |
|---|---|
| Up to 12 957 € | Full aid (100%) |
| From 12 958 € to 15 316 € | Partial aid (55%) |
| From 15 317 € to 19 433 € | Partial aid (25%) |
| Above 19 433 € | No legal aid |
To this are added two asset ceilings, assessed separately:
- movable assets (savings, investments): at most 12 957 €;
- real estate other than the main residence: at most 38 866 €.
⚠️ Exceeding a single one of these ceilings (income or assets) is enough to rule out aid. These amounts are increased according to the number of dependants (spouse, children…): for example, for a two-person household, the full-aid ceiling rises to 15 289 €. The scale is revalued every 1 January: for an up-to-date estimate tailored to your household, use the official eligibility simulator.
Full or partial aid: what is covered
With full aid, the State pays the lawyer's fees (according to a remuneration scale) and the costs of the other legal professionals (commissaire de justice, expert…). You advance nothing.
With partial aid, the State pays the percentage corresponding to your bracket; the remainder takes the form of a supplementary fee, freely negotiated with the lawyer but which must be the subject of a prior written agreement taking your situation into account.
⚠️ Legal aid covers your costs. It does not protect you from a possible order to pay the costs (dépens) or part of the opposing party's expenses (Article 700 of the Code of Civil Procedure) if you lose the case.
How to apply
The application is made using Cerfa form No. 16146 ("Legal aid application"), together with its instructions and the supporting documents: proof of identity, tax notice, and material about the dispute (summons, contested decision, opposing party's details…).
- Where to file? At the legal aid office (bureau d'aide juridictionnelle, BAJ) of the judicial court (tribunal judiciaire) of your home or of the court hearing the case. Depending on the court, online filing may be possible.
- When? Before or during the proceedings. Good to know: filing a legal aid application can interrupt certain time limits (for example an appeal deadline) — a useful point if a deadline is approaching.
The form and the procedure are detailed on service-public.gouv.fr.
Choosing your lawyer
You freely choose a lawyer, provided they agree to act under legal aid. If you do not know one, the bâtonnier (head of the bar association) will appoint one. The lawyer is then paid by the State: with full aid, they cannot ask you for a fee (only the regulated supplementary fee exists, with partial aid).
Afterwards: review and withdrawal of aid
Aid once granted is not definitively acquired. It may be withdrawn — with reimbursement — notably if the resources declared were inaccurate, if your financial situation improves during the proceedings, or if the trial brings you resources such that the aid would not have been granted. An action found to be abusive or dilatory may also justify withdrawal.
Getting free advice beforehand
Even before filing an application, you can obtain free information or a free consultation: at a point-justice (maisons de justice et du droit, France Services…), during lawyers' drop-in sessions organised by the bars, or by telephone on 3939 (Allô Service Public), a free information service that covers family law. The directory of points-justice lists these law-access venues.
Preparing your file saves time (and money)
Legal aid pays the lawyer; it does not do the substantive work for you. Arriving at the first appointment with a clear and orderly file — dated facts, numbered documents, prepared questions — allows the lawyer to get to the essentials, and reduces the supplementary fee accordingly if you are on partial aid. This is precisely the work Aridelle is designed to make easier: see our guides Building an evidence file for the family court judge and Keeping a timeline of events; and, on the procedure itself, Applying to the family court judge.