Indeed, the very definition of legal aid would suggest that social work must be involved. Legal consulting is normally reserved for those individuals who do not have the necessary finances to pay for their own lawyers in both civil and criminal suits. Even in less extreme cases, where a lawyer is not required but legal counsel is needed, a social worker will help to find the right legal aid office for his/her clients. Additionally, the social worker may be an employee of the state, a charitable organization, or may work within the legal aid office itself.

Legal aid will support and defend a wide range of clients, all of whom meet their income requirements of eligibility. Before a client is even accepted, he/she must apply to the legal aid firm showing that he either has no income, or that his income is too low to pay for a lawyer. For individuals who are illiterate, infirm, mentally challenged, or have some other challenge that prevents them from finding a lawyer and completing the paperwork, a social worker will help to get this step done. Once the application is received, another social worker may review it to determine eligibility.

Many people with no resources often find themselves in situations that require a lawyer. Commonly, it is because of someone taking advantage such as discrimination, increased rent, injury on the job, denial of benefits, refusal to pay overtime wages, foreclosure scams, and credit reporting inaccuracies. Sadly, there are also more heinous reasons for needing a legal aid lawyer such as defending oneself against murder, rape and burglary. All of these circumstances make it imperative for social work to be involved in legal aid.

In addition to helping the mentally and physically vulnerable, social workers in legal aid will assist with child protection cases. Professionals will question the children regarding the allegations, and others may visit the home to determine competency of the caregiver. Usually more than one social worker at different levels or within various agencies will be involved. Sometimes, the parents are being falsely accused, and the legal aid office, in conjunction with social worker reports, will defend parents or caregivers in custodial cases.

Social workers in a legal aid setting will also help to obtain the proper medication and health care for children and the elderly. They might visit residents of nursing homes to ensure that their individual rights are being observed. In a case where the family or other source has complained about neglect or abuse, a social worker may be assigned the task of taking the information so that a case can be brought forward.

Legal aid offices are continually questioning whether a particular fate or course of action is in the best interest of the client. For example, should two people divorce or should the lawyer recommend counseling to keep the family together? Is family preservation more important or is the client's wish to divorce the most important factor in a case? As a result of these types of personal conflicts when confronting clients, social work bridges the gap between the lawyer and the client.

Unquestionably, there is no limit to how social work interacts with the legal aid system - andlawyers for low income groups do some amazing work. Because the main focus of professional social workers is to seek harmony, balance, rightful dues, and help others to make their lives less miserable, social work is an integral part of the judicial system in so many ways.