 There is no charge for the work done by us - it is paid for out of public money.
However, if you decide that you want a solicitor to help you with your application to us, the solicitor will need to be paid. Ordinary Legal Aid runs out once the appeal process is over, but there is a more limited kind of funding that may be available to you: Legal Advice and Assistance (which some people still call the Green Form scheme).
Any solicitor who has a contract with the Legal Services Commission to provide advice about criminal law can work with you under this scheme, provided you pass the means test. If you are in prison this should not be a problem (unless you have a lot of savings). If you are at liberty you will probably have to be getting certain kinds of benefit before you qualify for free advice.
 Ideally, you are looking for a solicitor who has experience of dealing with criminal appeals. You could ask the firm how many times they have been at the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in the last twelve months. Six or more cases would be a good sign. Even better would be a firm that has taken a case to us before.
If your application to us is successful, ordinary Legal Aid will be available again to cover the actual appeal hearing.
If your application depends on getting expensive scientific tests or expert reports, try explaining to us why they are important. We may well be prepared to get them ourselves, saving you the problem of paying for them.
The Legal Aid system is in a state of change and people tell us it is very hard to find solicitors who are prepared to help them with applications to the CCRC. Clink on the following link for information about finding solicitors who may be able to help you.
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