FAQs on Pro Bono Lawyers in Singapore

Last updated on September 11, 2026

In August 2018, Parti Liyani, an Indonesian domestic worker, was charged with the theft of items worth more than $30,000 from her former employer of eight years, Mr Liew Mun Leong. Facing a criminal justice system she barely understood in a country far from home, Parti had neither the resources nor the connections to mount a defence on her own.

What followed was one of the most closely watched criminal trials in recent Singapore legal history. Fortunately, Parti was able to engage lawyer Anil Balchandani of Red Lion Circle to take on her case entirely pro bono. Eventually, the High Court acquitted Parti of all charges, finding that the prosecution had not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Parti’s case is a powerful reminder that access to justice should not depend on the size of one’s wallet, and that a committed pro bono lawyer can make all the difference. If you are navigating a legal dispute, you may want to know the various cost-effective legal options available to you. In the same vein, you may wonder – what is a pro bono lawyer?

This article will discuss:

What is a Pro Bono Lawyer?

A pro bono lawyer is a licensed legal professional who provides legal services either free of charge, or at significantly reduced rates to individuals who cannot afford standard legal fees. In Singapore, pro bono lawyers play an important role in bridging the gap between the legal system and members of the public who would otherwise be unable to afford legal services.

It is worth emphasising that being a pro bono lawyer does not mean being a second-rate lawyer. All pro bono lawyers in Singapore are licensed advocates and solicitors registered with the Singapore Bar. They are subject to the same strict ethical obligations and professional standards as any other practising lawyer.

Are There Full-Time Pro Bono Lawyers in Singapore?

Pro bono legal work in Singapore is carried out by two broad groups of lawyers. The first group comprises lawyers who are employed full-time by institutions set up specifically to provide free or subsidised legal services. Some examples include:

Legal Aid Bureau (LAB): The LAB is a government agency under the Ministry of Law. Its lawyers handle civil matters – such as divorce and child custody matters – for Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents who pass a means and merits test. A means test assesses your financial situation to determine whether you have limited means (i.e. are you unable to afford legal services). A merits test assesses whether your case has sufficient legal merit to be supported. Both tests must be passed before the LAB will take on your case.
Public Defender’s Office (PDO): The PDO is a government department under the Ministry of Law that is staffed by full-time public lawyers. It provides criminal defence assistance to accused Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents who cannot afford a private lawyer. Similar to the LAB, access is subject to income and type of offence criteria.
Pro Bono SG: Pro Bono SG is a non-profit organisation that coordinates a wide range of pro bono programmes and legal clinics across Singapore. It partners with volunteer lawyers from private firms and provides legal advice, full legal representation, and community legal education.

The second group comprises lawyers in private practice who volunteer their time to undertake pro bono legal work, alongside their regular billable work. This group is larger and more diverse than it may first appear.

All practising lawyers in Singapore are required, when renewing their annual practising certificates, to report the number of pro bono hours they completed in the preceding year. This reporting requirement signals an institutional expectation that members of the legal profession should contribute to pro bono work.

Beyond individual efforts, many law firms in Singapore also maintain dedicated pro bono practices or committees that coordinate and encourage their lawyers to take on pro bono cases. These range from smaller boutique firms with a strong public interest ethos, to larger full-service firms with structured programmes through which their lawyers are referred to for pro bono work.

What Types of Cases Do Pro Bono Lawyers Typically Handle?

Pro bono legal assistance in Singapore is typically sought for the following types of legal matters, given that these are areas where the need is greatest and where an individual’s fundamental interests are at stake:

Family law

Family law is one of the most common areas where pro bono assistance is sought. This includes:

Divorce: Assistance with contested or uncontested divorce proceedings, including division of matrimonial assets.
Child custody: Helping parents navigate custody disputes, care and control orders, and access arrangements for children.
Personal protection orders: Assisting victims of family violence to apply for and enforce protection orders.

The LAB handles a significant volume of family law matters each year, many involving vulnerable individuals such as low-income mothers seeking financial support for their children.

Criminal law

For accused persons facing criminal charges who cannot afford a lawyer, criminal legal aid is available through the PDO and the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (CLAS) administered by Pro Bono SG. This includes:

Criminal defence: Representation in Court for a range of non-capital offences – that is, offences which do not carry the death penalty. Examples include theft, assault, vandalism, and drug-related charges that fall below the threshold for capital punishment. Parti Liyani’s case is an illustration of how far this representation can extend.
Mitigation pleas: Preparing and presenting mitigation pleas on behalf of accused persons who wish to plead guilty and to seek a more lenient sentence.

Types of cases that are usually not covered

Pro bono assistance is not unlimited. Certain categories of cases tend to fall outside the scope of most pro bono schemes:

Commercial disputes: For example, business-related litigation or contract disputes between companies.
Capital offences: Cases involving the death penalty (such as drug trafficking or murder) are not within the remit of most standard pro bono schemes such as CLAS or the PDO. However, it is important to note that persons charged with capital offences are not left without representation. The Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences (LASCO) assigns free legal counsel to anyone charged with a capital offence, regardless of their nationality. Crucially, there is no means test or other eligibility criteria to satisfy under LASCO. In most cases, two defence counsel (one leading and one assisting) will be assigned to represent the accused person at trial and on appeal.

Do Pro Bono Lawyers Handle Full Representation or Just Legal Advice?

Many pro bono initiatives – such as the legal clinics run by Pro Bono SG – are designed strictly for one-time consultations. These sessions allow you to speak with a volunteer lawyer to better understand your legal rights, options, and next steps. However, please note that these volunteer lawyers cannot take on your case or represent you beyond the legal clinic session.

For more complex matters requiring full legal representation (such as court appearances), assistance is available through specific dedicated schemes, such as the Legal Aid Bureau, the Public Defender’s Office, or the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. It is important to be aware that access to these schemes is not automatic – you will generally need to meet eligibility requirements, including a means and merits test as described above.

You may wish to refer to our other article that details the various legal aid schemes in Singapore, including when you might qualify under each scheme.

How Can I Find a Pro Bono Lawyer in Singapore?

There are many legal clinics available at Community Clubs, Family Service Centres, and other community touchpoints. For example, Pro Bono SG operates a network of Community Legal Clinics across Singapore. These are a good first port of call for general legal advice.

For more sustained legal assistance in civil matters, you can apply directly to the LAB, which requires submitting information about your financial situation and the details of your case. The LAB will then assess whether you qualify for pro bono representation.

For criminal matters, if you have been charged with an offence and cannot afford a lawyer, you should inform the court at your earliest court mention. The court may refer your case to the PDO. Alternatively, you can approach Pro Bono SG directly to be assessed for your eligibility for CLAS.

In some situations, an NGO may also facilitate access to pro bono legal representation. In Parti Liyani’s case, it was HOME (Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics) that approached Mr Anil Balchandani to take on her case pro bono. HOME also found a bailor for Parti and provided her with shelter throughout the duration of her case.

Other NGOs that assist migrant workers with legal matters include Transient Workers Count Too, which operates a Wednesday Legal Clinic. It helps migrant workers find pro bono lawyers for cases that qualify for bro bono cases and helps them navigate the legal process.

It is important to note, however, that NGO assistance in accessing legal representation is primarily intended for specific groups who may not otherwise qualify for or have access to the formal legal aid schemes – in particular, migrant workers who are unfamiliar with Singapore’s legal system and who, not being Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents, may not qualify for assistance from the LAB or the PDO. If you are a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident, you should first look to the formal legal aid schemes available, such as the LAB, PDO, or CLAS, as your primary avenues for assistance. NGO assistance is not a general substitute for these schemes.

Where assistance is assigned through the LAB, PDO, or CLAS, the specific lawyer handling your case is assigned internally, based on availability and the nature of the matter. In other words, you generally do not get to choose or select your pro bono lawyers. That said, you always retain the option of opting out of pro bono legal representation and engaging a private lawyer of your choice should you wish to do so – this is discussed further below.

Are There Any Costs Involved with Engaging a Pro Bono Lawyer?

While pro bono usually means the legal fees (i.e. the lawyer’s professional fee) are waived or heavily subsidised, there may still be certain incidental costs that a client is expected to bear. These include court filing fees, fees for obtaining documents, translation costs, etc.

The practical takeaway is that before assuming everything is free, clarify with the relevant scheme or organisation what costs, if any, you might be expected to cover. Being upfront about your financial situation will help them advise you properly.

Can I Switch from a Pro Bono Lawyer to a Paid Lawyer?

Yes, you can. There is no rule preventing a client from switching from a pro bono lawyer to a private one during the course of legal proceedings. You might make this switch because the case becomes more complex. For example, a divorce may start off relatively straightforward, but evolve into something more complicated involving disputes over the division of matrimonial assets, business valuations (e.g., where one spouse owns a business), or international elements (e.g., involving overseas assets). If the complexity falls outside the scope of what a pro bono scheme covers, the client may need to engage a private lawyer.

The process to switch lawyers requires the outgoing lawyer to prepare a discharge of their appointment, and the incoming lawyer to file a Notice of Change of Solicitor with the court, if the proceedings are already underway.

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Pro bono lawyers are a vital part of Singapore’s legal landscape, ensuring that access to justice is not solely determined by one’s ability to pay. The story of Parti Liyani and Anil Balchandani is perhaps the most vivid illustration of what pro bono representation can achieve.

The key points to keep in mind:

All pro bono lawyers are fully qualified, licensed advocates and solicitors.
Pro bono assistance covers a range of civil, family, and criminal matters.
Assistance can take the form of one-off consultations at a legal clinic or full legal representation through the LAB, PDO or CLAS.
Even with pro bono representation, there may be some out-of-pocket costs.
Switching from a pro bono lawyer to a private one is permitted, but should be done through the proper processes.

If you or someone you know needs legal assistance, the following are useful starting points: