The current process, whereby practitioners must apply separately in each individual county to be placed on its Legal Aid Panel, will be replaced later this year with a single application form. This will allow you apply once for all the Counties whose panels you wish to be placed on.

The new system will take effect from the end of November, when Revenue begins to issue tax clearance details, for Panels covering 2022. Practitioners can submit a single application form to a single email address, legalaidpanel@courts.ie, together with the appropriate details from the Revenue Commissioners.

A single Court office will generate the legal aid panels for all counties which will be provided to the Department of Justice to allow for payments to be processed.

• Download the new Legal Aid Panel form
• Download guidance for completing the Legal Aid Panel form

Guidance for completing the form

Please note that:

1. Only Tax Clearance certificates expiring in 2022 should be submitted to legalaidpanel@courts.ie as this office will only be taking over the preparation of the panels for 2022.
2. The form to be submitted is in Excel. You should download the form in this format onto your network and complete same. The form, in Excel format, should be completed and then submitted. This will speed up the registration process.

Support and queries

Any queries in relation to the panels from that date should be directed to legalaidpanel@courts.ie, while queries in relation to legal certificates and appearances will continue to be dealt with by the local Court office dealing with a particular case. Queries in relation to payments will continue to be a matter for the National Shared Services Office in Killarney.