▶ Other free legal assistance options
SA Õigusteenuste Büroo provides free legal advice to disadvantaged people from Tallinn, Valga, Jõhvi, Narva and Pärnu whose net income per family labour unit is below 516.45 euros per month and to people with a referral from the Tallinn Crisis Centre for Women in matters related to employment law, right of obligation, real rights, right of succession, family law, execution proceeding, social (care) law.
Eesti Õigusbüroo OÜ in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice offers legal assistance to persons living in Estonia free of charge or at a discount. Assistance is provided to all people living in Estonia whose average gross income is below 1.5 times the average gross income published by Statistics Estonia, i.e. 2,076 euros. Legal assistance is provided, with a few exceptions, in all legal matters and in all forms, as a physical consultation, online and by phone. Clients are assisted in both extrajudicial proceedings and in court, as well as in preparing documents and communicating with administrative agencies. Advice is provided both online and in person.
Estonian Association of Pensioners’ Societies offers free legal assistance to elderly people twice a week in Tallinn, Keila, Põlva, Pärnu and Rakvere. In addition to the elderly, disabled people can also contact the Estonian Association of Pensioners’ Societies website to obtain assistance in legal matters.
You can contact the Ombudsman of Tallinn if you believe that the administrative agencies or officials of the city of Tallinn have infringed your constitutional rights and freedoms or the principles of sound administration in the fulfilment of their tasks.
The Student’s Law Office of the Estonian Lawyers Union offers free legal assistance in Tallinn in a variety of matters requiring legal advice.
Tallinn Social Work Centre offers free debt counselling to the residents of Tallinn who are registered in the population register. Debt counselling is a social service that is designed to improve the coping skills of persons or families who are in financial difficulties. The service is free of charge for the residents of Tallinn. For the residents of other local governments, the price of the service is 19.10 euros per hour. The fee is paid by the user of the service or the local government that referred the person to this service.
The Estonian Union for Child Welfare in cooperation with the Estonian Bar Association offers free legal advice in matters related to family law. Advice is provided by the members of the Estonian Bar Association and, if necessary, the Chamber of Notaries; counselling is provided in Estonian and Russian in the Tallinn office of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare and in the Hiiumaa Youth Work Centre.
The employment legislation consultant in the Tallinn City Enterprise Department offers assistance via e-mail and in person in matters related to employment law. Such matters can include all areas of employment law, including the contract of employment, holiday, remuneration, working time and rest period, as well as collective employment relations.
▶ Other places you can contact to uphold your rights
The Chancellor of Justice in matters related to rights of children, young people and disabled people, and the protection of fundamental rights.
The Commissioner for Equal Opportunities can be contacted by anyone who feels that they have been discriminated against based on their sex, ethnic origin or colour, religion, belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, trade union membership or on account of being a parent.
The Labour Inspectorate provides advice on employment relations and occupational health and safety.
The court to apply for legal services at the expense of the state to receive state legal aid. State legal aid is provided by an advocate in the following matters: pre-litigation proceedings (civil, criminal and misdemeanour matters), judicial proceedings (civil, criminal, misdemeanour and administrative matters), enforcement proceedings, administrative proceedings, judicial review proceedings, drawing up legal documents, and other legal counselling or representing of a person. State legal aid means that the state initially pays for the legal service; however, this does not necessarily mean that the service is completely free of charge. For example, when legal aid is granted you may be ordered to pay the legal expenses in part, or to repay the costs in full or in part after the dispute is resolved.
The Estonian Human Rights Centre advises people on matters related to human rights.
The Estonian Women's Shelters Union offers free legal assistance to women who have experienced psychological, physical, economic or sexual violence.
The Estonian Patients Union offers free legal counselling to its members in matters related to the health system and the rights of patients.