LEGAL ASSISTANCE
Legal assistance is to render services in legal matters. In order to operate as a practising Lawyer in Norway, a University law degree and two Years of qualifying work experience is required. This page gives a survey of manners of financing legal assistance.
 
Legal Assistance Insurance
It is not as expensive to request the services of a Lawyer as many people tend to believe. This is because you will often find that you will benefit from insurance coverage of legal assistance under your Home insurance, car insurance, house insurance and boat insurance policy etc.
 
The insurance covers legal expenses to your Lawyer, the Court, experts and witnesses in the amount of up to NOK 80.000. Self payment will normally amount to NOK 3.000 plus 20 per cent of the excess amount. The coverage has certain limitations and such limitations may vary among insurance companies. The most common limitations are that coverage does not extend to disputes regarding work, divorce, distribution of children between parents, insolvency, criminal matters etc. In such matters, however, opportunities exist to have expenses in respect of legal aid paid for by the authorities, or to have legal assistance rendered by your Employer/Trade Union. Your Lawyer will and shall help you in investigating and informing you on these alternatives of payment.
 
Public (free) Legal Aid
Free Legal Aid is an offer of legal assistance which is established by the State in order to help individuals in obtaining necessary legal assistance regardless of his or her financial status.
 
This applies to certain matters which are considered to be of special importance to the welfare of people.
The offer is that the State covers, in whole or in part, costs and expenses incurred or sustained in connection with assistance by a Lawyer outside litigation at the Courts.
 
Free Legal Aid is thus briefly and mainly assistance by a Lawyer paid for by the State, with the purpose of preventing loss of rights as a consequence of poor personal economy.
 
Client`s own payment of Legal assistance
The Lawyer shall inform you on applicable hourly rates and what he or she will do in order to assist you. In the outset the Lawyer shall not perform any action without your consent or instruction. On the other hand your Lawyer shall do whatever is necessary in order to cater for your case in the best way. This implies a  cooperation between Lawyer and client, where the Lawyer is entrusted with a task which the relevant Lawyer shall attend to to the best of his or her ability.
 
When in doubt, please ask for an estimate from the Lawyer, or request to be notified when costs reach a certain amount.