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  3. The justice system
  4. Legal aid

Making a payment in a legal aid case

You might need to make a payment in a legally-aided case to the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland (LSANI). This can happen because of your income, savings, property you own or the outcome of the case.

If you need to pay the Legal Services Agency 

The Legal Services Agency (LSANI) will write to you and explain:

  • how much you need to pay them
  • why you need to pay them
  • when you need to pay them

They’ll give you:

  • a LSANI  account number
  • a barcode to use when paying by smartphone, telephone, at a post office or PayPoint outlet

How you can pay the Legal Services Agency

You can pay LSANI:

  • online using a debit card or credit card
  • by app on a smartphone
  • by Direct Debit
  • at the post office
  • at PayPoint outlets
  • by telephone using a debit card or credit card

Paying online with a debit or credit card

To pay online using a debit or credit card, you will need your LSANI account number and your debit or credit card details. There is no charge to pay by debit or credit card.

  • Make your payment online to LSANI

Paying by app on a smartphone

The allpay application accepts payments for the Legal Services Agency. You’ll need to download and set up the app on your smartphone. When the app is downloaded, you’ll need your barcode number and a debit or credit card.

  • Download the allpay mobile payment app

Paying by Direct Debit

To pay by Direct Debit, you fill in a mandate form. This allows LSANI to collect money from your bank or building society account. You can set up a Direct Debit:

  • online
  • by post
  • by telephone

Setting up a Direct Debit

To set up a Direct Debit online, go to:

  • Set up a Direct Debit for LSANI

You can download a Direct Debit mandate form. You need to print, fill in and send the form to LSANI.

  • Direct Debit form for the Legal Services Agency

To set up a Direct Debit by telephone, you need to contact LSANI helpline with your LSANI account number and your bank or building society information:

  • telephone: 028 9040 8888

Paying at a Post Office

To pay with cash in a Post Office, you will need your LSANI barcode scanned. You should keep the receipt and allow five working days for your payment to reach LSANI.

If you pay by cheque in a Post Office, write the cheque to 'Post Office Ltd'.

  • Post Office branch finder

Paying by PayPoint 

You can pay by PayPoint in a shop. In most PayPoint outlets, you can pay by cheque, cash or debit card. But some outlets don’t accept cheques or debit cards.

You'll need your LSANI barcode scanned when you pay.  You should keep your receipt and allow five working days for your payment to reach LSANI.

  • Find a PayPoint outlet

Paying by telephone

You can pay by telephone using a debit or credit card. There is no charge to pay by debit or credit card. To pay by telephone using a debit or credit card, you’ll need your LSANI barcode number. allpay accepts payments by telephone for LSANI:

  • telephone 0330 041 6497
  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers

Privacy notice

To find out how Legal Services Agency handles your personal information, go to:

  • Legal Services Agency privacy notice 

More useful links

  • Legal aid schemes
  • The justice system
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Legal aid

  • Create a solicitor or barrister's legal aid account or log in to LAMS
  • Create an employee's legal aid account or log in to LAMS
  • Legal aid
  • Making a payment in a legal aid case
  • Report legal aid fraud online

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