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Legal Aid in Cayman Islands

Legal Aid in Cayman Islands

Legal aid in Cayman Islands is available in certain cases and according to the Legal Aid Law. This law sets forth the manner in which the Courts can grant free or subsidized legal aid in civil cases and also for cases that are brough in front of the Court of Appeal.

Those who wish to apply for aid, or simply need to request an attorney, can reach out to our team of agents who also specialize in Cayman Islands incorporation. We are a team of incorporation agents who works together with legal professionals and can help guide investors or individuals who are interested in knowing more about the manner in which legal proceedings take place in the Islands.

Court provided legal aid in Cayman Islands

According to the Cayman Islands Judicial Administration, legal aid is possible in certain cases. Below, our team lists some of the most important issue to take into consideration:

  • Civil cases: legal aid in Caymanis not ordinarily available for civil proceedings in the Summary Court, although this may be available in cases involving children, for proceedings that take place under the Children Law;
  • Court of Appeal: this court allows for the granting of legal aid for appeal purposes; it is important to note that in this cases the opinion of an attorney is relevant on whether or not the merits of an appeal are required;
  • Rules: the Legal Aid Rules 1997 is the main source that stipulates the fees that are payable to legal practitioners;
  • Application: those who intend to apply for legal aid need to fill in an application form and a statement of means; they can be filled in electronically, however, they need to be printed and signed.

The application form for legal aid includes the following information:

  1. Personal details: the applicant’s name and address (postal and physical) as well as contact details;
  2. The attorney’s details: if the applicant is already working with an attorney, he is required to provide his name, address and contact details and whether or not he has agreed to pay him any fees and if so how much;
  3. The case particulars: information on the case, such as the nature of the proceedings and the opposing parties;
  4. Other details: the applicant is required to fill in information on why he requires legal aid in Cayman.

The application is accompanied by a number of documents, including those that have been served to the applicant by the plaintiff, the statement setting out the basis of the legal action, the statement of means and the attorney’s opinion, if any. The statement of means if the document that includes all the relevant information on the applicant’s income (employment details, wage amount per week/month/year and other bonuses or gratuities) as well as details about his dependents, if any (children and other individuals who are in his care).

When the applicant is unemployed at the time of the request, he is required to provide information on why this is the case as well as details on the prospect of obtaining employment and other types of income, if any (for example, from property rental or pension income). Details about savings and checking accounts as well as those concerning land owned are also provided. The legal aid application form also includes a section in which the applicant is required to provide information on monthly expenses.

Our Cayman Islands company formation agents can provide you with information on our partner lawyers and specialists who can help in civil law cases, including but not limited to applying for legal aid in Cayman.

Legal services in Cayman Islands

Investors, entrepreneurs or expats who are based in the Islands can request legal aid in Cayman from our team of lawyers, as opposed for applying for civil legal aid provided by the authorities.

Our team of Cayman Islands lawyers strives to provide accessible services for all our clients. More information on the costs for the legal aid in Cayman provided by our team is available upon request and we encourage you to reach out to us for an initial case evaluation that will estimate the costs as well as provide information on the steps that will be required.

Our team specializes in various areas of law and can assist clients who are interested in receiving legal opinions.

According to the Cayman Islands Judicial Administration, the number of cases that were filed in 2019 was the following:

  • 26 criminal cases and 37 civil cases filed with the Court of Appeal;
  • 280 criminal cases were filed with the Grand Court;
  • 1,292 criminal cases were filed with the Summary Court.

If you would like to receive legal aid in Cayman, please contact our specialists.

Apart from our assistance for those seeking legal aid for their legal matters, we also offer solutions for setting up a company in the Cayman Islands. Our team of incorporation specialists provides complete services to investors who wish to set up an offshore or an onshore company, as well as those who are looking for solutions such as virtual offices for their business.