What can we help you with?

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Almost everything

Level 1 advice covers virtually all areas of law

We can help you with almost all areas of law, including advice on:

  • Rental agreements, including settlement upon moving out, termination, and dissolution, contract review
  • Separation, divorce, division of property, child support, etc.
  • Custody and visitation rights
  • Prenuptial agreements and wills
  • Cohabitation
  • Probate and inheritance matters
  • Social cases and appeals against decisions by public authorities
  • Residency matters under immigration law, EU law, and association agreements
  • Citizenship cases
  • Employment law, termination, holiday pay
  • Compensation cases for injuries, violence, malpractice
  • Insurance cases
  • Consumer purchases
  • Contractual matters
  • Debt matters, enforcement cases, and debt restructuring

If your inquiry pertains to the following areas, our assistance will be limited to basic verbal advice:

  • Matters predominantly of a commercial nature, provided you are still an active business operator (this includes landlords)
  • Criminal law, where you are charged or accused in a criminal case
  • Defamation cases


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Aarhus Retshjælp cannot assist with the creation and preparation of documents such as wills, prenuptial agreements, property settlement agreements, etc. Furthermore, we do not assist with completing tax returns.

Who can get help?

Basically all...

As a general rule, anyone over the age of 18, regardless of income, can contact Aarhus Retshjælp and receive advice on resolving a legal issue. If you are under the age of 18, you must be accompanied by a guardian to the advice session.

Legal aid provides advice in three stages:

Step 1

Level 1 provides basic verbal advice, where you can receive guidance on your rights and options after an evaluation of your legal problem. This consultation is your foundation to decide whether to proceed with your case and, if so, how to advance.


Aarhus Retshjælp aims to promote self-assistance, so those capable can be directed on how to proceed with their case on their own.


In certain cases, we may offer additional advice at level 2 or 3. In other situations, we might refer you to relevant public authorities or a lawyer.

Consultations at level 1 are typically anonymous and free for all, regardless of income levels.


Step 2 - 3*

 Levels 2 and 3 encompass both advice and actual case management, including communication with adversaries, application for legal aid, procedural documents for minor claims, drafting of payment demands, and submission of complaints against decisions by public authorities.


Level 3 might also include further advice intended to facilitate a settlement in a dispute.


As a general rule, advice and assistance at levels 2 and 3 are provided only if you meet the financial criteria for legal aid. For more information on these criteria, read here.


*No case management is offered at levels 2 and 3 for self-employed individuals – including landlords.

 

Financial requirements for legal aid - January 2026


Applicant Amount
Single 404,000 kr.
Marriage/cohabitation 513,000 kr.
Increase for each child 70,000 kr.

When we need to find out if you can get free legal aid at stage 2 or 3, we look at your income.

We look at:


  1. Wage income: Money earned from work.
  2. Investments: Income from interest, shares, and money from abroad. If these investments have resulted in a loss, it will not be deducted from your total income.


For couples, a joint loss only counts if they have lost money together on these investments.



Read more

First meeting - how we help

How a meeting goes

When you come in for a consultation at Legal Aid, you can expect the following:


  • 30 minutes are allotted for the interview. If more time is needed, we can arrange a new time.


  • The conversation is confidential and anonymous, and all our advisors are bound by confidentiality. We only register personal information if a case is created.


  • Law students and trained lawyers advise you. Our advisors are generalists and not specialists.


If you have not brought enough information for us to assess your case, you may be asked to come again.

Purpose of the first conversation

For the first conversation, we would like:

  • To create an overview of your legal problem.
  • To discover whether we can help you and how we can help you.
  • To provide an assessment of your case based on the information you bring.


When you leave here, you will be helped in one of 3 ways*:

  1. With help to proceed with your case or complaint yourself.
  2. With reference to a lawyer, association or public authority.
  3. By creating a case where we handle the case processing (this requires your consent and meeting income requirements, etc.).


* Our assistance assumes that you belong to our target group and that your questions fall within the legal areas we advise on.


What documents do you need to bring to the interview?

In order to best advise you on your case, we recommend that you bring relevant documents/papers to your individual interview with Aarhus Legal Aid. This will help your advisor to give you the best possible advice.


You can bring your documents on your mobile, tablet or computer, as well as as physical documents.


Below we have listed some typical examples of relevant documents and papers that may be useful to bring to the interview. Please note that there may be other documents that are also relevant, even if they are not on the list. If you think a document may be important to your case, please bring it with you just in case.


We recommend that you bring your MitID so that we can easily find the information relevant to your case and give you the most accurate advice.

Checklist for documents

  • Employment law

    • Addendum to employment contract
    • New employment contract
    • Other agreements/contracts related to the employment relationship
    • Letter of termination
    • Letter of dismissal
    • Letter of release
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Inheritance

    • Will
    • Addendum/codicil to will
    • Revocation of will
    • Waiver of inheritance
    • Asset list/asset list
    • Decision/judgment
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Debt collection/debt

    • Demand letter (letter with a demand or request to pay)
    • Dunning letter(s) (debt collection agency demands payment)
    • Collection letter (letter stating that your debt will be transferred to collection)
    • Agreement document/contract (debt letter)
    • Documentary basis from counterparty or “documentation of your debt from the counterparty”
    • Voluntary settlement (agreement)
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Tenancy law

    • Lease agreement
    • Addendum to lease agreement
    • New lease agreement
    • Other agreements/contracts regarding the tenancy
    • Demand letter and reminder letters
    • Termination letter or “Letter of termination of tenancy”
    • Move-out statement
    • House rules
    • Decision/judgment
    • All correspondence/communication with your landlord/tenant

  • Contractual relationship

    • The relevant contract/agreement document
    • Addendum (allonge) to the contract/agreement document
    • Decision/judgment
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the agreement and stakeholders

  • Family law

    • Agreement document(s), e.g. property division agreement, visitation agreement
    • Asset statement/asset statement
    • Gift certificate
    • Decision/judgment
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Insurance cases

    • Insurance policy
    • Additions to insurance policies
    • Insurance year
    • New insurance policy
    • Decision/judgment
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Compensation for personal injury

    • Medical documents
    • Insurance letters/insurance decision
    • Correspondence with the tortfeasor or insurance company
    • Decision/judgment
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Cooperative housing

    • Cooperative housing association statutes
    • Agreement on sale of share in the cooperative
    • Mortgage deed (share)
    • Demand letter (letter with demand or request to pay)
    • Exclusion letter (letter of eviction from the cooperative)
    • House rules
    • Cooperative certificate
    • Written correspondence/communication between the parties to the case

  • Residence permits and citizenship

  • Documents you need to bring: Decisions and letters from the Danish Immigration Service, the Immigration Appeals Board, SIRI or the Ministry of Immigration and Integration. Review of application: Bring your MitID so that we can log in to the application form so that we can check your completed application for errors and omissions. We do not help with completing the application itself. Application form – specific documents: Family reunification:
  • Your passport: Copy of all pages (including blank ones).
  • Marriage certificate: Copy with translation (only if you are married).
  • Documentation:
  • Cohabitation (if you are not married).
  • Language skills, work and education.
  • Passed Danish test (if applicable). Your spouse/cohabitant in Denmark:
  • Housing arrangements (if applicable).
  • Cohabitation (if you are not married or the marriage is not recognized).
  • Possible serious illness or disability.
  • Passed Danish test (Danish 3 or higher).
  • Work and education. Permanent residence:
  • Your passport: Copy of all pages (only if you are an employee, student or family member of these).
  • Documentation:
  • Paid fee.
  • Housing (only if you are a spouse and live in a rented accommodation).
  • Danish language skills (e.g. Danish language test or primary school certificate).
  • Work (e.g. annual statements, contracts).
  • Income (e.g. pay slips, annual statements).
  • If applicable, citizenship.
  • If applicable, disability (medical certificate).
  • If applicable, disability pension (municipality decision).
  • If applicable, care of a sick child.
  • If applicable, stay abroad due to work. You can find information about your application and the digital application form at www.nyidanmark.dk. Here are some examples: Family reunification Permanent residence permit Work permit

Have you visited Retshjælpen before?

So remember to come on the same day of the week or evening as you usually do. Otherwise, we unfortunately have to ask you to come again another time.

Why is it important?

This ensures that you get the best help, as you always speak to the same advisors, even if you have a new case.

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We have a duty of confidentiality

Counselors and employees employed by legal aid are bound by confidentiality. This means that they are not allowed to talk to others about you and your situation. However, counselors are allowed to talk internally (i.e. with each other and the responsible manager) about interviews and the questions that arise from the interviews.


All conversations with an advisor are confidential, and we do not use social security numbers in the advice.


The only exception to the duty of confidentiality is the duty to notify and the duty to prevent.

If we become aware that a person's life is in danger or a young person under the age of 18 is being neglected, we have a duty to act on this knowledge.

Please note that it is extremely rare for us to encounter these situations. If it does happen, we will try to find a solution together with you. In extreme cases, we may be forced to notify the municipality or the police.


Read more about how we handle your information.

Frequently Asked Questions

- find the answers here


  • Can I be completely anonymous?

    Legal aid can provide advice on an anonymous basis if it is only verbal advice. However, legal aid employees are bound by confidentiality and may not share your personal information with others, not even with the authorities. This means that you can safely inform your advisors about your legal problem.

  • Can I call you instead of meeting you in person?

    Yes, we are open for telephone advice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 to 12:30, and on Tuesday from 17:30 to 18:30. However, telephone advice is only suitable for short, precise questions that do not require reviewing relevant papers. You can call tel. 86 20 82 70.

  • When is Legal Aid open?

    Legal aid is open for personal advice at the following times: Monday and Tuesday 4:00 PM-7:00 PM, Wednesday 1:00 PM-4:00 PM and 4:00 PM-7:00 PM (Alienation law advice), Thursday 11:00 AM -4:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM-1:00 PM. Please note that you will be assigned to the day of the week and the advisors who have advised you. This means that you will not be able to get advice on another day of the week after that. Remember that our advisors provide their assistance free of charge and unpaid in their free time. It is therefore only exceptionally possible to change to another day of the week if there is a special need for this.

  • Is there a long wait to get help?

    The waiting time depends on how many people apply that day and how complex the issues are that day. It is therefore a good idea to make an appointment or prepare for some waiting time. During busy periods, we unfortunately cannot guarantee that everyone who has come forward will speak to an advisor before the legal aid office closes.

  • Am I entitled to receive help from Aarhus Legal Aid?

    No, it is the Legal Aid advisors who decide whether to provide assistance in a specific case. Our services are primarily aimed at private citizens, employees and tenants. We do not offer case processing for self-employed persons - including landlords.

  • Is Aarhus Legal Aid only for citizens of Aarhus?

    No, everyone is welcome to receive advice from Aarhus Legal Aid. However, if you earn more than the income limits for free legal aid, we only provide general oral advice that can help you assess whether you should proceed with your case, and if so, how.

  • What documents do I need to bring?

    For example, lease, decisions, employment certificate, purchase agreement, contracts, agreements, wills, previous correspondence, etc. In order for us to advise you on your case, depending on the type of case, these are examples of extremely important information for us, and which must therefore be brought to the first meeting.

  • Do you offer parking facilities?

    Unfortunately we do not, but we are close to the city's parking facilities, buses and trains. We are closest to Christiansgade, which is a parking street. The following parking garages are nearby: Telefontorvet, Musikhuset, Salling.