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Dear users of the website,
The Law on State-Guaranteed Legal Aid of the Republic of Lithuania (“Law”) establishes the provision of state-guaranteed legal aid to persons to enable them to defend their violated or disputed rights and the interests protected under law adequately. Pursuant to the Law, there is primary and secondary state-guaranteed legal aid.
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Primary legal aid means legal information and legal advice provided under the procedure set forth by the Law and the drafting of documents to be submitted to state and municipal institutions, except for procedural documents. This legal aid also covers advice on out-of-court dispute settlement, actions for amicable dispute settlement and drafting of settlement agreements. Primary legal aid does not cover the completion of returns to be submitted to a tax administrator.
Primary legal aid is available to all citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, citizens of other member states of the European Union, other natural persons legally resident in the Republic of Lithuania and in other member states of the European Union, as well as other persons specified in international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania.
Persons wishing to receive primary legal aid have to apply to the executive institution of a municipality of their declared place of residence or, if they have no place of residence, to the executive institution of a municipality where they are resident. The duration of primary legal aid cannot exceed one hour, however, it may be extended by a decision of the executive municipal institution or a person authorised by it. A person may apply for primary legal aid on the same issue only once.
A list of municipal executive institutions and the contact details of persons providing primary legal aid is available at: http://www.teisinepagalba.lt/?top=prim&item=kontprim.
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Secondary legal aid means drafting of documents, defence and representation in proceedings before the court, including enforcement proceedings, representation in preliminary extrajudicial dispute settlements, where such a procedure has been laid down by laws or by a court decision. This legal aid also covers the litigation costs incurred in civil proceedings, administrative proceedings and the costs related to the hearing of a civil action brought in a criminal case.
Secondary legal aid is available to citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, citizens of other member states of the European Union, as well as other natural persons legally resident in the Republic of Lithuania and in other member states of the European Union if their property and annual income do not exceed the property and income levels established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for the provision of legal aid.
The following persons are eligible to apply and receive secondary legal aid irrespective of the property and income levels established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania:
1) persons eligible for legal aid in criminal proceedings according to Article 51 of the Republic of Lithuania Code of Criminal Procedure and in other cases specified by laws when the physical presence of a defence lawyer is mandatory;
2) aggrieved parties in the cases concerning compensation for the damage caused by criminal actions, including the cases when the issue of compensation for damage is heard as part of a criminal matters;
3) persons receiving a social allowance under the Republic of Lithuania Law on Cash Social Assistance for Low-Income Families (Single Residents);
4) persons maintained in stationary social care institutions;
5) persons with severe disabilities or recognised incapacity for work, persons of pensionable age, held to be of high special needs under the procedure prescribed by laws, also guardians (custodians) of these persons, where state-guaranteed legal aid is necessary for the representation and defence of rights and interests of the ward;
6) persons who have presented a proof that they cannot dispose of their property and funds for objective reasons and that for these reasons, their property and annual income which they can freely dispose of do not exceed the property and income levels established by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for the provision of legal aid under this Law;
7) persons suffering from serious mental disorders, when issues of their involuntary hospitalisation and treatment are being considered according to the Republic of Lithuania Law on Mental Health Care, and their guardians (custodians), where state-guaranteed legal aid is required for the representation of rights and interests of the ward;
8) debtors in enforcement proceedings, when a recovery is levied against the last housing wherein they reside;
9) parents or other legal representatives of minor children, when the issue of their eviction is being considered;
10) minor children, when they independently apply to a court for the defence of their rights or interests protected under law in the cases specified by laws, with the exception of those who have entered into a marriage in accordance with the procedure laid down by laws or have been recognised by the court as legal capable (emancipated);
11) persons requested to be recognised as legally incapable in the matters concerning recognition of a natural person as legally incapable;
12) persons in the matters concerning registration of birth;
13) other persons in the matters provided for in treaties of the Republic of Lithuania.
Secondary legal aid is organised and decisions on the provision of secondary legal aid are made by the State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Services of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. The person willing to obtain secondary legal aid has to submit an application for state-guaranteed legal aid and the documents proving his/her right for secondary legal aid to a State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service.
Contact data of State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Services:
Vilnius State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service
Odminių str. 3, LT-01107 Vilnius
Tel.: +370 (5) 264 7480
Fax: +370 (5) 264 7481
E-mail: s.paulauskiene@infolex.lt
Kaunas State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service
Kęstučio str. 21, LT-44320 Kaunas
Tel./fax: +370 (37) 42 84 03
E-mail: a.baneviciene@infolex.lt
Klaipėda State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service
H. Manto str. 37, LT-92233 Klaipėda
Tel./Fax: (8~46) 256 176
E-mail: kl.vgtpt@infolex.lt
Šiauliai State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service
Dvaro str. 123A, LT-76208 Šiauliai
Tel.: +370 (41) 39 97 64, 39 91 08
Fax: +370 (41) 52 00 40
E-mail: svgtpt@svgtpt.lt
Website http://pagalba.svgtpt.lt
Panevėžys State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service
Klaipėdos str. 72, LT-35193 Panevėžys
Tel.: +370 (45) 57 01 52
Fax: +370 (45) 43 62 01
E-mail: paneveziovgtpt@infolex.lt
Specifics of the provision of state-guaranteed legal aid in international disputes:
The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania is the institution of the Lithuanian Republic authorised to receive and send applications for the provision of state-guaranteed legal aid in cross-border disputes from/to the competent authorities of the member states of the European Union.
Address of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania:
Gedimino ave. 30/ A. Stulginskio str. 1, LT-01104 Vilnius
Tel.: +370 (5) 266 2981
Fax: +370 (5) 262 5940
E-mail: rastine@tm.lt
Where the case is to be heard by the court of the Republic of Lithuania or the decision is to be enforced in the Republic of Lithuania, the applicant has the right to submit an application for legal aid either to the competent authority of the member state of the European Union where he/she has permanent or habitual residence or directly to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania.
Applications for legal aid and documents attesting to the person’s eligibility for legal aid have to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania translated into Lithuanian or English.
Upon the receipt of an application for legal aid from the competent authority of another member state of the European Union, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania must, within 30 days of the receipt of the application and all the necessary documents, examine it and take a decision on the transmission of the application to the appropriate executive institution of a municipality or to the State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania has the right to refuse to transmit the application where not all the documents referred to in this Law have been submitted. Upon the taking of a decision to refuse to transmit the application, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania immediately notifies the applicant thereof.
The executive institution of a municipality or the State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service must notify the applicant of a decision taken on the provision of state-guaranteed legal aid. Where an application for legal aid is rejected, the reasons for such a decision must be specified. The decision on the rejection of the application may be appealed against in accordance with the procedure laid down by laws of the Republic of Lithuania.
Form of application for legal aid in another member state of the European Union
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