Once you have submitted your application for free legal aid, the following happens1:
Step 1: Your application will be scrutinized by the relevant Legal Services Authority to determine what is to be done.
Step 2: Once the scrutiny of the application is complete, information about whether your application has been accepted/rejected will be provided to you in the following ways:
- If the application was made in person/ physically at any Legal Services Authority: An address (either residential address or email address) for correspondence is noted and information regarding the application is sent to the same.
- If the application is made online via the NALSA website or the online portals of the Legal Services Authorities: An application number is generated, and you can track the status of the application on the online portal itself.
The decision on the acceptance/rejection of the application is to be decided immediately and not more than 7 days from the date of the receipt of the application.
Step 3: Once the application is accepted, you will be given information on the assignment of the lawyer. The assigned lawyer and you will be given a letter of appointment (vakalatnama) along, and the lawyer is required to contact you immediately, or you can initiate the contact.
- FAQs, National Legal Service Authority, https://nalsa.gov.in/faqs;
Procedure After Filing, Legal Services Management System, National Legal Service Authority, https://nalsa.gov.in/lsams/nologin/procedureAfterFiling.action. [↩]