Assistance provided by the state to persons who do not have sufficient financial means to defend themselves in court (or to bring judicial proceedings). Thus defined, legal aid is mainly concerned with legal representation in court. However, legal aid may also be concerned with legal advice: not everyone who encounters a legal problem will necessarily take the matter to court.

Legal aid and legal advice are often a crucial element in guaranteeing economic access to justice and the right to fair remedy, in particular to women victims of domestic violence and women from disadvantaged groups, such as migrant women.

See also: equal access to justice of women and men; victim; survivor