Legal aid
Before you go it alone, it's worth checking legal aid.
Legal aid is public funding that helps people who can't afford legal help pay for it. It is a government scheme, separate from Portia, and if you might be entitled to it, that's worth knowing before you decide how to handle your case.
This page explains, in plain terms, what legal aid is and how to check whether it's open to you. It won't tell you whether you qualify, only the official service can do that, but it will point you to it.
What it is
What legal aid is, in plain terms.
Legal aid can cover some or all of the cost of legal help, and in some cases representation. Whether you can get it depends on two things: your financial situation, and the kind of case you have. It's aimed at people on lower incomes, and it covers some types of legal problem but not others. For many civil disputes, legal aid is no longer available at all, which is part of why so many people now find themselves representing themselves. That's not a reason to skip checking, it costs nothing to find out, and if you do qualify, it may be the right route for you.
How to check
How to find out if it's open to you.
The government runs a free service that tells you whether you're likely to be able to get legal aid for your situation. It asks about your case and your finances and gives you an answer, and it's the authoritative place to check, not us. It takes a few minutes, and it's the right first step before you decide anything else.
Check if you can get legal aid (GOV.UK) →
If you'd rather talk to someone, organisations that give free advice can also help you understand your options and whether legal aid applies to you.
Where Portia fits
Where Portia fits alongside it.
If you qualify for legal aid, that may well be the best route, and you should follow it. Portia is built for the many people who don't: those who fall outside the scheme, or whose case isn't covered, and who end up representing themselves. That's who Portia is for. And to be clear, Portia's own free tier is a separate thing from legal aid: it's a free way to organise and structure your case, not public funding, and not a substitute for it. If legal aid isn't open to you, Portia is built to help you do this properly on your own.
Check legal aid first. If it's open to you, take it. If it isn't, Portia is here for exactly that.
Portia isn't open yet. Join the waitlist and we'll tell you when it is.