Free legal aid

Free legal aid is a service provided by legal experts and lawyers through some associations and legal clinics in Croatia. In certain cases, free legal aid also includes free representation in court. 

The following individuals are eligible for free legal aid in Croatia:

• Croatian citizens
• unaccompanied minors without Croatian citizenship who are found in Croatia without an adult legally responsible for them
• foreign nationals with temporary residence (subject to reciprocity) or permanent residence
• foreign nationals under temporary protection
• undocumented migrants and short-term visitors in procedures related to expulsion or return decisions
• asylum seekers, persons who have been granted asylum, foreigners under subsidiary protection, as well as their legally residing family members, in procedures where legal aid is not already provided by a specific law.
  
  

Types of legal aid

Free legal aid includes primary and secondary legal aid, as well as exemption from the court fees and costs of court proceedings.

Primary legal aid covers:

• general legal information
• legal advice
• drafting submissions before public law bodies, the European Court of Human Rights and international organisations in accordance with international treaties and the rules of procedure of these bodies
• representation in proceedings before public law bodies
• legal assistance in the out-of-court amicable settlement of disputes.

Secondary legal aid includes:

• legal advice
• drafting legal submissions for procedures related to the protection of workers' rights before an employer
• drafting submissions in court proceedings
• representation in court proceedings
• legal assistance in the out-of-court amicable settlement of disputes
• exemption from court fees 
• exemption from court proceedings costs.

How to apply for free legal aid

To obtain primary legal aid, you need to directly contact an authorized provider, such as a registered association, legal clinic, competent administrative body (e.g. if you live in the city of Zagreb, it is the City Office for General Administration, and the list of organizations you can contact is at the end of this text).

The process for obtaining secondary legal aid involves submitting an application using the prescribed form to the competent administrative authority in the area where you have your permanent or temporary residence.

The relevant office will review your application and issue a decision on whether you meet the conditions for secondary legal aid. If approved, the office will assign a lawyer to provide the necessary legal assistance.

Conditions for obtaining free legal aid

You may qualify for primary legal aid if:

• you lack sufficient knowledge or ability to exercise your legal rights
• you are not already entitled to legal aid under other specific regulations
• your submitted application is not manifestly unfounded
• your financial situation is such that paying for professional legal assistance would jeopardize your own well-being or that of your household members.

You may qualify for secondary legal aid if:

• the legal matter is more complex
• you do not have the ability to represent yourself
• your financial situation makes paying for legal assistance a threat to your own well-being or that of your household members, in line with specific conditions relative to the applicant’s financial situation
• the case is not about vexatious litigation
• in the last six months from the date of submission of the application, your application has not been rejected due to the intentional provision of incorrect information
• you are not already entitled to legal aid under other specific regulations.

The list of authorized associations, legal clinics and administrative bodies of counties and the City of Zagreb that provide free legal aid services is available HERE.

A short brochure on legal advice for applicants for international protection in Croatia, prepared by the Croatian Law Centre can be downloaded in several languages at the link.

You can read more about your rights and the possibilities of obtaining legal advice in the brochure of the Croatian Law Centre "You Too Have the Right to... " prepared in several languages.