Sweden's 1948 Procedural Code is outlined, with attention to the increased costs resulting from use of this new procedure and the development of the Legal Aid Act of 1973 is discussed. The reorganization of the Swedish legal aid institutes into public law offices is chronicled, and the four forms of legal aid are explored: general legal aid, legal aid to suspected persons in criminal proceedings, legal aid by an official assistant, and the giving of legal advice. The article also documents distinguishing of legal aid, which refers in principle to aid out of court, from 'free process,' which concerns the costs of an action, with examples drawn from the Danish law. Examination of Finland's use of public legal aid and free process that parallels Denmark in some respects, focuses on two laws passed in 1973: the act on public provision of legal aid and the Free Process Act. A look at Norwegian laws dealing with legal aid touches briefly on Norway's current law, which distinguishes out-of-court advising in legal matters from the free process and a proposal which will substantially alter Norway's current laws.