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Finding resources

How do I find free legal aid for my case?

CAnewstart_20261 month ago

Income is too low to hire a lawyer, too high for some programs. How do people find free help?

2 replies

✓ Verified answer from a licensed attorney — shown first

Lucia Rivera avatarLucia RiveraVerified Attorney1 month ago

Three tiers to try in order. (1) Your county's Legal Services Corporation-funded legal-aid office (lsc.gov/find-help). Income limit is usually 125-200% of poverty. (2) Law-school clinics — many family-law, immigration, and consumer clinics take income-eligible cases without LSC's income caps. (3) Modest-means / sliding-scale panels run by county bar associations — pay $50-$150 per session instead of full rates. The 'I make too much for aid but too little for full price' band is real, but the modest-means option often closes that gap. Hablo español si necesitas más detalles.

Lawma Moderator1 month ago

lawhelp.org has a state-by-state self-help directory. Many courthouses also have free self-help centers staffed by court-affiliated attorneys for forms and procedure questions (not case strategy).

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Around the case

Other things people in your situation usually need to handle. Some are paid partners; some are free community resources — labeled clearly.

🤝 Community resource · We don't earn from this

211 · Local assistance

Local food, housing, childcare aid · Free · 24/7

A single phone number (or website) that routes you to local programs in any US state — food, housing, childcare, utility help, and more. Free and confidential.

Dial 211 →
🤝 Community resource · We don't earn from this

LSC · Find local legal aid

Legal-aid directory · Free · income-qualified

Legal Services Corporation directory of every nonprofit legal-aid program in the US. Most provide free representation for income-qualified clients.

Find your local office →
🤝 Community resource · We don't earn from this

NCADV

Coalition of DV programs · Free

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence — national policy work plus a state-by-state directory of local member programs (shelters, transitional housing, advocacy).

Find a local program →

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Please readThis is a community space for sharing personal experience — it is not legal advice, and posts here are not from Lawma or your attorney. We strongly encourage you to post under an anonymous handle, keep questions general, and avoid posting private details of your active case. For advice about your own situation, message your attorney.