Free legal help
The help exists. Arriving organized is how you get it.
Legal aid offices, court self-help centers, and volunteer attorney programs are free. But they are stretched thin, underfunded, and they turn people away — often at the intake desk, before anyone has read a word. What moves you through that door is arriving with your facts in order, your dates straight, and your documents labeled.
That's the reason this directory exists next to the case builder rather than on its own. Organize your case here first, then take it to one of the organizations below so they can actually review it.
1. Put your case in order here
The facts, the timeline, the parties, the documents, the evidence, and the deadlines — in your own words, in one place.
2. Build one package
One click turns everything you supplied into a single organized package. It's the same package you'd send a paid attorney.
3. Take it to one of these organizations
Hand them the link, or bring a printed copy. They open your file already organized instead of starting from scratch.
The share feature works for these organizations, not just paid attorneys
When you build your case package, put the organization's name in the share form where it asks who is reviewing. You get the same link you'd send an attorney — one organized file, everything they need, nothing they have to chase you for.
Find legal aid where you live
Legal aid offices give free representation and advice on civil matters. Start here if you don't know who to call.
LawHelp.org
What it does
State-by-state legal aid finder, court forms, and self-help tools. Answer two questions about where you live and what your problem is, and it points you to the offices that handle it.
Who qualifies
Free and open to anyone. The legal aid offices it lists set their own income limits — each listing says who it serves.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
What it does
Funds 130 independent legal aid organizations in every state, for civil legal problems. Use their finder to locate the organization that covers your area, then contact it directly.
Who qualifies
Legal aid organizations have income limits and prioritize essentials — housing, family safety, benefits, and similar. Each organization's page says what it handles.
Free answers and help with forms
Volunteer attorneys who answer questions, and tools that walk you through court forms.
ABA Free Legal Answers
What it does
You post a civil legal question, and a volunteer attorney licensed in your state answers it. Free, and you can follow up on the answer.
Who qualifies
Income-qualified. You answer a short eligibility screen first; if you qualify, you can ask questions.
Law Help Interactive
What it does
Free guided completion of court forms. You answer questions one at a time in plain language and it assembles the finished form for you.
Who qualifies
Free and open to anyone. Which forms are available varies by state.
Help inside the courthouse
Free, no income test — but read the limits before you count on it.
Court self-help centers
What it does
Inside courthouses. Free help with court procedure and court forms — how a process works, which form you need, and how to fill it out correctly. Call your local courthouse and ask for the self-help center or family law facilitator.
Who qualifies
Free, and there's no income test. Availability and hours vary by court, so call before you go.
They cannot give legal advice or strategy. Staff can explain procedure and help with forms, but they cannot tell you what to argue, whether to accept a settlement, or what a judge is likely to do.
State-by-state self-help sites
Every state has one. These three show you what to look for; LawHelp.org has the equivalent for your state.
Your state's legal aid and self-help site
What it does
Every state has its own site with court forms, instructions, and a legal aid intake screener. These three are good examples of what to look for — and LawHelp.org has the equivalent for your state.
Who qualifies
The self-help material and forms are free to anyone. Applying for a legal aid attorney is usually income-qualified.
Specialized help
Organizations focused on one kind of case.
WomensLaw.org
What it does
Plain-language legal information for domestic violence and protective order matters, state by state — how to ask for a protective order, what happens in court, and how to prepare.
Who qualifies
Free and open to anyone.
Clinics and pro bono programs
Supervised law students and volunteer attorneys who take cases for free.
Law school legal clinics and local bar pro bono programs
What it does
Law schools run clinics where supervised students take on cases in specific areas, and local bar associations run pro bono programs that match volunteer attorneys to people who can't pay. Call your local bar association and the nearest law school and ask what they take.
Who qualifies
Each clinic and program sets its own limits — usually by case type and income. Many take a limited number of cases per term, so ask early.
Free help and a paid attorney are not either/or
Apply for legal aid and ask a volunteer attorney a question. At the same time, keep your case file here and look for an attorney in your state who can take it on — a case that arrives organized is one an attorney can evaluate without billing you to assemble it first.
ProSe Law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The organizations in this directory are independent — we have no financial relationship with them, we are not a referral service, and we do not rank or endorse them. Eligibility rules and services are set by each organization, and they change; confirm directly with the organization.
Whoever you go to for help, bring a complete file.
74%
74% of low-income households had at least one civil legal problem in the past year.
Source: Legal Services Corporation, 2022 Justice Gap Report
46%
46% of those who didn't seek help cite cost.
Source: Legal Services Corporation, 2022 Justice Gap Report
Free to start. No credit card.