Legal aid allows indigent individuals be represented in court both as plaintiffs and defendants, selecting a lawyer paid for by the state. State legal aid applies to civil, administrative, accounting and tax cases as well as in voluntary court proceedings (consensual separations, joint divorces, etc.); it also applies to criminal proceedings.
The general criteria to qualify for governmental legal aid is a taxable annual income, according to the latest tax return, not exceeding € 10,766.33.