Where to go
The Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KELSA) and every District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) — which sit in the district court complex — provide a free lawyer and free legal advice. Taluk Legal Services Committees do the same at taluk level. Applications are free, and can be made at the DLSA office or through its front office.
Who gets a free lawyer as of right
Under section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, free legal aid is available whatever the person's income to:
- women and children
- members of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
- victims of trafficking or of begar (forced labour)
- persons with disabilities
- victims of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster
- industrial workmen
- people in custody, including in a protective home, juvenile home or psychiatric hospital
Anyone else qualifies if their annual income is below the limit the State has notified. That limit is set by the Kerala government and revised from time to time — the DLSA front office will tell you the current figure. Legal aid covers the advocate's fee, the court fee, and the cost of preparing and filing.
Aid can be refused or withdrawn where the claim has no merit, or where the applicant misled the authority. So state the facts plainly in the application.
Lok Adalat: settling without a trial
A Lok Adalat settles a matter by agreement between the parties. It can take compoundable criminal cases, civil suits, motor accident claims, cheque bounce cases, and family and money matters — before a case is filed, or at any stage after. Why it is worth asking for:
- No court fee — and court fee already paid is refunded when a case settles.
- The award has the force of a civil court decree and is executable.
- No appeal lies against it, because both sides agreed — which is exactly why the terms should be read carefully before you consent.
National Lok Adalats are held on set dates every few months, and a party can ask the court or the DLSA to refer their case.
Where each complaint actually goes
| The problem | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Crime, threat, assault, theft, fraud | Police station — or 112 in an emergency |
| Online or UPI fraud | 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in |
| Defective goods or poor service | District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, online through e-Daakhil |
| Unpaid wages, unfair dismissal | Assistant Labour Officer or District Labour Officer |
| Domestic violence | District Protection Officer, police, or 181 |
| Anything concerning a child | 1098 |
| Senior citizens' maintenance and neglect | Maintenance Tribunal (Revenue Divisional Officer); helpline 14567 |
| Bank or loan complaint unresolved for 30 days | RBI Ombudsman, cms.rbi.org.in |
| Insurance complaint | The insurer's grievance cell, then the Insurance Ombudsman |
| Public services, land records, certificates | Village office, then Taluk office, then the Kerala grievance portal |
| Police inaction | Superintendent of Police, then a Magistrate's complaint |
| Human rights violation | Kerala State Human Rights Commission |
| Bribery | Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau |
What it costs
Criminal complaints to the police carry no fee. Consumer complaints below the prescribed value carry a small fee or none. Civil suits carry court fee on the value claimed — and legal aid can cover that too, for an eligible applicant.
This guide is legal information, not legal advice, and reading it creates no advocate–client relationship. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts. For anything serious, consult an advocate — and if you cannot afford one, the District Legal Services Authority will give you a lawyer free of cost.
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