The Legal Aid Board provided services to 17,500 persons last year according to figures released in its annual report today.
The board advises and provides legal representation to people through its 33 full-time and 12 part-time law centres across the country.
According to the report of the cases in which advise only was provided, 70 per cent related to family law, 10 per cent to conveyancing and 20 per cent to other civil law matters.
When the Board's solicitors provided representation 60 per cent related to divorce or separation and nullity, 23 per cent to other family law matters and 10 per cent related to other civil law matters.
Meanwhile the report also found that more than 3,300 new clients registered with the Refugee Legal Service marking a slight reduction on 2004 figures. However, the Board said that more than 75 per cent of applications for refugee status now get assistance from the RLS.