Nana Apkhaidze
Civil law · Criminal defence
State legal aid
Free lawyer in Georgia - what the state Legal Aid Service does, who it serves and where its reach ends
Georgia has a public body whose whole purpose is to provide legal help to people who cannot pay for it: the Legal Aid Service, a legal entity of public law. Its lawyers defend people in criminal cases when they have no means to hire counsel, and its consultants answer legal questions for a much wider audience. Many residents only hear about it once they are already in a police station, and many foreigners never hear about it at all.
This page explains in general terms what the Service offers, who it is mainly designed for, how to approach it and where the structural limits are. It also covers the point at which a private advocate becomes worth considering and how our free first contact lets you compare both routes. Eligibility rules are set by law and change over time, so treat what follows as orientation and confirm your own situation with the Service directly.
Published
The institution
What the Legal Aid Service is
The Legal Aid Service operates under the Law of Georgia on Legal Aid. Its job is to make sure that a person's ability to defend themselves in an investigation or in court does not depend on their bank balance. It has a nationwide footprint: legal aid bureaus in the larger cities and consultation centres in the regions, where staff see members of the public in person.
Two kinds of professionals work there. Advocates, who are members of the Georgian Bar Association, defend and represent clients before investigators and courts. Legal consultants give first-line advice and help people draft documents. The distinction matters, because advice is broadly available, while having an advocate actually run your case is reserved for categories of people and cases defined by law.
A Legal Aid advocate is bound by the same Code of Ethics and the same duty of confidentiality as any private advocate. They do not represent the state in your case and they do not work for the prosecution. Their client is you, even though the public budget covers their work. People who turn down a state lawyer because they assume he is "on the other side" usually hurt their own position.
Services
Four kinds of help the Service provides
This is the general picture. The exact conditions for each service are set by the law and by the Service's own rules, and they are revised from time to time.
Free legal consultation
Bureaus and consultation centres advise a wide range of people: what your rights are, which authority to approach, which deadlines apply. It is the least restricted service and often enough to work out whether you need an advocate in the first place.
Drafting legal documents
Applications, complaints, a draft claim or another document to be filed with a public body or a court. This usually covers matters that fall within the Service's mandate, and in some cases requires proof that you are unable to pay.
Criminal defence
An accused person who cannot afford counsel can be assigned a defender for the investigation, the trial and appeals. There are also cases of mandatory defence - for example when the accused is a minor or does not speak the language of the proceedings - where the law requires a lawyer to be present, and the state provides one if the person has not hired their own.
Civil and administrative representation
For people who cannot pay, the Service also represents clients in certain civil and administrative matters, within categories listed by law that concern basic needs and interests. That list is limited and has been amended more than once, so ask the Service up front whether your particular case is covered.
Who qualifies
What you might be entitled to - a rough guide
Use this as orientation, not as a legal opinion. What counts is your social status, the category of your case and the rules in force when you apply.
Your situationWhat to expect
You need advice and nothing has been filed yetA free consultation at a bureau or consultation centre. Quite often that is the first and only step needed to understand your options and the deadlines.
You are detained or accused and cannot afford a lawyerThe Service can assign a defender. Inability to pay is usually established through registration in the national database of socially vulnerable families with a rating score below the threshold set by law.
Mandatory defence applies, for instance a minor or someone who does not speak GeorgianIf you have no lawyer, the state provides one. Here a lawyer is not only your right but a requirement of the procedure itself.
Civil or administrative dispute, person unable to payRepresentation is possible if the matter falls into a category defined by law. Otherwise the realistic expectation is advice and help with documents.
You are the victim in a criminal caseRepresenting victims is not the Service's core task, although exceptions exist for certain categories. A private advocate can join on the victim's side at any stage.
A company, sole trader or commercial disputeThe mandate is built around individuals, and business matters generally fall outside it. Here a private advocate or an outsourced legal service is the practical option.
Criminal defence advocates if you want private counsel
The catalogue lists 3 842 advocates who take criminal cases under a criminal or general licence. Each card shows the certificate number and languages spoken, plus the city where one is published, and the first contact through our coordinator is free.
Darejan Butskhrikidze
Civil law · Criminal defence
Archil Chopikashvili
Criminal defence · Civil law
Eldari Gelashvili
Civil law · Criminal defence
Tamaz Gurashvili
Criminal defence · Civil law
Vardo Velijanashvili
Civil law · Criminal defence
Applying
How to approach the Service in six steps
The process itself is simple, but timing often matters. Detention is listed as a separate step because the logic there is different.
Find the nearest bureau or centre
Addresses, opening hours and the hotline number are published on the Service's official website. A short call beforehand tells you which office to go to and what to bring, so the visit is not wasted.
Bring identification
An ID card or passport and, if you are asking for defence or representation, information confirming your social status. The Service can often check the social database itself, but having your own copy saves time.
Bring the case papers
Whatever you already have: a summons, a police record, a court letter, a contract, messages. A one-page timeline of what happened and when makes the consultation far more productive.
Consultation and assessment
A lawyer listens to the problem and tells you whether it falls within the mandate. If the matter needs an advocate and you qualify, an application for defence or representation is filed.
If you are detained, ask for a lawyer on the spot
Nobody in custody can walk into a bureau. Tell the investigator that you want a lawyer and cannot afford one; securing your right to counsel is the investigating authority's duty. A family member can call the Service hotline at the same time.
Stay in touch with the assigned advocate
Write down the advocate's name and number and agree how you will exchange information. A busy lawyer works better with an engaged client: pass on new documents or witness details as soon as you have them rather than waiting for the hearing.
Limitations
The honest limitations
State defenders are frequently seasoned practitioners who know criminal procedure better than many private lawyers, precisely because they are in court every day. The constraints of the system lie in its structure, not in the competence of its people, and knowing them helps you set realistic expectations.
Choice comes first. As a rule the Service assigns the advocate and you cannot pick a specific person; a change is possible but needs grounds and a procedure. Workload comes second. Each advocate carries many files at once, so meetings tend to be shorter and returning calls can take longer than you would like.
Scope is the third limit. The mandate is defined by law, and plenty of civil disputes, business matters and cases of people who can pay simply fall outside it. Side costs are the fourth. The advocate's work is free, but a defence-commissioned expert report, an independent valuation or certified translations may not always be covered. None of this makes a state lawyer a bad choice; in a complex case it simply pays to ask early what resources will be available.
Comparison
State lawyer or private advocate - six points of difference
PointHow they differ
CostA state lawyer is free for an eligible person. A private advocate's fee is agreed in a written contract, on a fixed, hourly or staged basis.
ChoiceThe Service normally assigns counsel. A private advocate is someone you pick by field, experience, language and city, and you can talk to several before deciding.
Time on your fileLegal Aid advocates handle a heavy flow of cases. A private advocate manages their own caseload, and how and when you communicate can be written into the contract.
Areas coveredThe Service focuses on criminal defence and on social matters listed in the law. A private advocate can take on any field, from company law to inheritance.
LanguageYou cannot choose the language of a state lawyer, although an interpreter is guaranteed in criminal proceedings. With a private advocate you can work directly in English or Russian, without a go-between.
GuaranteesBoth are Bar members subject to the same ethics rules. Neither can promise an outcome, and a lawyer who "guarantees" a result is waving a red flag.
Your choice
When a private advocate makes sense
In many cases a state lawyer is perfectly adequate. These are the situations in which people commonly hire private counsel or get an independent opinion alongside.
Serious charges or heavy evidence
Multiple episodes, financial records or digital evidence take time to work through and often call for an independent expert. The amount of material itself dictates how many hours a defence really needs.
You do not qualify for state help
If you do not meet the inability-to-pay criteria and mandatory defence does not apply, a state lawyer may not be available at all. Many foreign residents are in exactly this position, since the means test is tied to the Georgian social welfare system.
A civil matter outside the mandate
Dividing property, inheritance, a business dispute, a residence permit refusal - most of these are either not on the Service's list or only covered under specific conditions.
A narrow speciality
Cybercrime, tax offences, white-collar charges: in fields like these, specific experience can make a real difference. When choosing privately, that experience is exactly what you ask about in the first conversation.
A second opinion
You do not need to drop your state lawyer to hear another view. Some clients book a single consultation with a private advocate to assess the case or check the strategy, and only then decide whether to change counsel.
Coalition Legal
How our free first contact works
Coalition Legal does not replace the Legal Aid Service and does not compete with it; we help you find a private advocate. Every lawyer in the catalogue has been checked against the Georgian Bar Association register for active status, and each profile shows the certificate number and licence specialisation. In criminal matters that detail is crucial, because only advocates with a criminal or general licence may act as defence counsel.
The first contact costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Call or fill in the form, and during working hours a coordinator gets back to you within 15 minutes, listens and suggests an advocate by city, type of case and language - English and Russian included. At the first consultation the advocate assesses the case and explains how they charge, and then you decide whether to stay with the state lawyer or hire privately.
If the coordinator can see that your situation clearly fits state legal aid and you do not actually need a private lawyer, you will be told so plainly. What we want is for you to know your options, not to sell you representation at any cost.
Questions about free lawyers in Georgia
Is a state lawyer really completely free?
For an eligible person the advocate's services are free, paid for by the state budget. Other case costs, such as some expert reports or the state fee in a civil claim, are a separate issue and are not always covered automatically. Check the details with the Service.
I am a foreigner. Can I get state legal aid?
In criminal proceedings you are entitled to a free interpreter, and not knowing the language of the proceedings is treated as one of the grounds for mandatory defence. For other services eligibility depends on conditions, because the means test is linked to registration in the Georgian social system. Ask the Service for a definitive answer in your case.
Will my embassy provide a lawyer?
Consulates can usually be notified of a detention, visit their nationals and often share lists of local lawyers, but they generally do not pay for or appoint defence counsel. Treat the consulate as support, and arrange the lawyer through the Service or privately.
Can I choose which state lawyer defends me?
Normally not; the Service assigns an advocate based on workload and where the case is. If the relationship is not working or you see a conflict of interest, you can ask the Service for a replacement, giving your reasons.
I was assigned a state lawyer. Can I switch to a private one later?
Yes, at any stage. Once you sign a contract with a private advocate, they join the case and the state lawyer's involvement ends. Just avoid switching the night before a hearing, because the new advocate needs time to read the file.
Does the Service help companies?
Its mandate is designed around individuals, and commercial disputes generally sit outside it. Businesses usually either hire an advocate for a specific matter or engage a lawyer on a monthly retainer, both of which are explained on our page for companies.
Does calling the coordinator commit me to anything?
No. The coordinator's call and the first consultation with an advocate are free. A contract and a fee only come into play if you decide to hire, and that arrangement is strictly between you and the advocate.
State lawyer or private advocate - start with one free conversation
During working hours a coordinator replies within 15 minutes, listens to your situation and explains the options, in English or Russian if you prefer. If you go private, the first consultation is free.