Legal aid and public guardianship districts

Finland is divided into six legal aid and public guardianship districts:

• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Southern Finland
• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Eastern Finland
• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Southeastern Finland
• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Southwestern Finland
• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Western and Inland Finland, and
• Legal Aid and Public Guardianship District of Northern Finland

Legal aid and public guardianship districts provide legal aid, public guardianship services and financial and debt counselling services. These services are provided by the legal aid offices and the public guardianship offices. The districts are responsible for providing the services in an equal manner within their operating area.

A legal aid and public guardianship district is headed by a director of the legal aid and public guardianship district. The director and two administrative secretaries form the administrative unit of a district. In addition to them, other specialists may work at the unit.

The administrative units are responsible for the administrative duties of the offices, such as budget preparation, procurement, personnel recruitment and invoicing, exclusive of client invoicing.

There are 3–4 legal aid offices and 3–4 public guardianship offices in each district. A legal aid office is headed by a leading public legal aid attorney, and a public guardianship office is headed by a leading public guardian. In addition, the largest legal aid offices have a head of unit for financial and debt counselling services.