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Legal · Free legal help

Getting free legal help

For civil problems (eviction, a landlord keeping your deposit, debt collectors, unpaid wages, family law), start at LSC's map, which finds one of the 129 LSC-funded legal aid groups near you, or your state's LawHelp.org site. If your income is low, you can post a question for a volunteer lawyer at ABA Free Legal Answers (not for criminal cases). LawHelp Interactive fills out court forms free. Got court papers? Call the same day and say the deadline first.

Easy15 min to find help, longer for intakeFreeChecked October 2, 2026

You'll need

  • Your address or ZIP code
  • Every paper about the problem: lease, letters, notices, court papers, texts and photos
  • A one-page timeline: what happened, when, and who said what
  • Your household income, because many programs ask

What to know

  1. Find your local legal aid office. Enter your address on the Legal Services Corporation map. LSC funds 129 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations covering every state, D.C. and the U.S. territories, for low-income people with civil legal problems. Source: LSC1
  2. Check your state's LawHelp.org site. It finds free legal aid near you, answers common legal questions, and has free legal forms. Its services are for people with low to moderate incomes. Source: USA.govLSC21
  3. Ask a lawyer online. If your income is low, ABA Free Legal Answers lets you post a civil question for free, and a volunteer lawyer licensed in your state answers by email. Topics include housing, eviction, consumer rights, work, unemployment, family and education law. It doesn't take criminal questions, and not every state participates. Source: ABAUSA.gov32
  4. Need a form, not a lawyer? Law Help Interactive helps you fill out legal forms for free, including for landlord and tenant disputes and identity theft. Source: USA.gov2
  5. Try a law school clinic. USA.gov links a directory of law school pro bono programs by state. Source: USA.gov2
  6. Get ready for intake. Have your timeline, papers and income ready. Say your deadline first, then describe the problem in two or three sentences. Write down the name of everyone you talk to and when.
Watch out Court deadlines don't wait for an appointment. If you got court papers, respond by the date in them, even while you look for help. Ignoring a lawsuit can mean losing automatically and, for debts, a court order taking money from your paycheck or bank account. Source: FTC4

What legal aid can help with

Depending on where you live. Source: USA.gov2

AreaExamples
HousingLandlord and tenant disputes, eviction, foreclosure
WorkWrongful firing, discrimination and harassment, wage and hour disputes
ConsumerBankruptcy, debt collection, repossession
FamilyDivorce, domestic abuse, child support, custody, guardianship
CivilProperty damage, personal injury, breach of contract

Help for specific groups

  • Military members, veterans and families: Stateside Legal, and free legal clinics through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Source: USA.gov2
  • People with disabilities: the National Disability Rights Network lists legal advocates by state. Source: USA.gov2
  • Pension or retirement plan problems: the Pension Rights Center. Source: USA.gov2
  • Immigration and federal veterans' questions: ABA Free Legal Answers has a federal page. Source: ABA3

Your one-page timeline

  • Who: names and contact information for everyone involved
  • What: the problem in two or three sentences
  • When: dates of each event, letter, payment and conversation
  • Deadline: any date on a notice or court paper, at the top in bold
  • Papers: a list of what you have, with copies ready to send
  • Goal: what you want to happen

What to say when you call

Hi, I need help with a [housing / debt / work] problem. I have a deadline: [court date or response date]. In short: [two sentences]. I live in [county] and my household income is about [amount]. Can you help, or tell me who can?

See it done

Video by ABA Center for Pro Bono Nonprofit

ABA Free Legal Answers Overview

Watch on YouTube: ABA Free Legal Answers Overview

2022 · Checked October 3, 2026

This one's about step 3: type your question in your own words and a volunteer lawyer answers. It's for civil questions if your income is low. For a local legal aid office, start with step 1.

Video won't load at school or work? No problem. Everything you need is in the steps; the video's just a bonus. Watch it on YouTube later.

If it doesn't work

  • Over the income limit? Ask your state or local bar association about lawyer referral services.
  • Facing a criminal charge? Legal aid programs focus on civil cases, and ABA Free Legal Answers doesn't take criminal questions. Source: USA.gov2 Ask the court whether you qualify for a public defender.
  • Your state isn't on ABA Free Legal Answers? The site points to findlegalhelp.org for other options. Source: ABA3
  • Waitlist? Ask whether they have self-help forms, a hotline or a clinic day in the meantime.

Good to know

The details, if you want them. Tap a line to open it.

What LSC is

LSC is an independent nonprofit set up by Congress in 1974 to fund civil legal aid for low-income Americans. Source: LSC1

Who runs Free Legal Answers

It's a project of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. Source: ABA3

Take it with you

Printable cardDownload card (PDF)

Sources

  1. Legal Services Corporation Get legal help
  2. USA.gov Find a lawyer for affordable legal aid
  3. American Bar Association Free Legal Answers
  4. Federal Trade Commission Debt collection FAQs

Lesson L9.1 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed.

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