Register for children’s legal assistance

Solicitors and firms who wish to provide Children’s Legal Assistance must abide by our Code of Practice. Please read this before completing the registration process.

Any firm that wants to be listed on the Children’s Legal Assistance Register must be registered with the Law Society of Scotland as a practice unit.

If this is the case please complete the registration form and email it to childrensregister@slab.org.uk.

If you work for a firm that is already registered to provide Children’s Legal Assistance then please complete the solicitor registration form and email it to childrensregister@slab.org.uk along with a copy of your current practising certificate. You will also need to have a link to the firm on our financial and accounts management system.

We will contact you once we have reviewed your application and let you know if it has been approved.

• If you are registering a firm we will also email you with login details for Legal Aid Online. This is a web-based system that you will use to submit applications, accounts and conduct other business with us.
• If your firm is already registered then your LAOL administrator will be able to create an account and provide you with these.

In the mean time you should familiarise yourself with Legal Aid Online information hub. There is useful information about logging into the system for the first time as well as detailed training materials on using the system.

You can also read about the Children’s Hearings duty plans if you are interested in applying for this once you have completed the registration process.

The Children’s Hearings Improvement Partnership (CHIP) has produced a Vision and Values Statement, which is supported by all of those organisations involved in the children’s hearings system, including us and the Law Society of Scotland.

The statement aims to set clear expectations of all of those working in it, including the following key components:

• Understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities in the Hearings System.
• Respect for the roles and responsibilities of others – demonstrated through constructive, positive behaviours, consistent with the ethos of the Hearings System.
• A commitment to the principle of paramount concern of ‘best interests’ of the child/young person in all elements of our contributions, actions and decision making.

You should have regard to this when working under children’s legal assistance in the children’s hearings system.