Enhancements to the Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedure will take effect starting September 4, the Administration Wing announced today.

To enable more people in need to receive services, the scheme will lift the existing income eligibility limit of not exceeding a monthly income of $50,000 or an annual income of $600,000 from September 4.

Unrepresented litigants who have not engaged lawyers nor been granted legal aid can apply for the scheme to seek free legal advice, without the need to provide information on their income, on civil procedural matters of the proceedings, including commencement of proceedings, in the Lands Tribunal, Family Court, District Court or the courts above to which they are parties.

Additionally, the scheme will expand, also on September 4, the scope of its online application system from re-applicants who have attended an advice session on the case in question to all applicants.

Since its launch in 2013, the scheme has conducted over 24 000 advice sessions for about 9,000 eligible litigants. Under the enhanced scheme, applicants will remain responsible at all times for the conduct of their own proceedings.