legal help for people who cannot afford an attorney

by Rhoda Nicolas Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago 10 min read

If you can’t afford an attorney, here are some strategies to try:

Contact the city courthouse.
Seek free lawyer consultations.

Look to legal aid societies.
Visit a law school.

Contact your county or state bar association.
Go to small claims court.

Full Answer

Where can I find legal help if I can't afford a lawyer?

Here's how to find legal help if you can't afford a lawyer: Contact the city courthouse. Seek free lawyer consultations. Look to legal aid societies.

Where can I get free legal help in non criminal matters?

Pisgah Legal Services provides free legal help in non-criminal matters to people who cannot afford a private attorney. Do you need money for rental assistance? If you were affected by COVID-19, please apply for available rental assistance and avoid possible eviction for non-payment of rent!

Where can I find a low-cost lawyer?

What is it called when you get free legal advice?

This is called “pro bono” representation (which simply means “free” in Latin). Many cities and counties have pro bono legal clinics that offer free legal advice and help filling out forms. For actual representation in a court proceeding, you may be able to find a legal aid society near you.

What is it called when you can't afford a lawyer?

If you cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid may be able to help you. There are legal aid offices (also called legal services) throughout the United States. Legal aid offices are not-for-profit agencies that provide free legal help to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer.

How can I get free legal advice in NC?

Call 1-800-662-7660 or submit a request online. Legal Aid of North Carolina provides free advice and representation to low-income people in all 100 counties of North Carolina. Apply for help at your nearest Legal Aid of North Carolina office, call the HelpLine at 1-866-219-5262, or apply online.

What is a pro bono lawyer?

To qualify for free legal assistance, a person must comply with a 'means test' (a maximum monthly or no income) and have a legal problem with merit. You will be referred to an attorney by the Legal Practice Council who will assist you free of charge (pro bono).

What does free legal assistance group do?

The Free Legal Assistance Group is a human rights organisation that is committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and civil liberties. FLAG works to help excluded and vilified individuals secure legal documents pertaining to citizenship, land ownership, health, and communal development.

What are the different types of legal aid?

There are two types of legal aid: for civil and for criminal cases. All applications for legal aid for criminal cases are means tested. But some applications for legal aid for civil cases are not means tested, for example care cases and Mental Health Tribunal cases.

Does Legal Aid of NC help with child custody?

If you need help with child custody, contact your local Legal Aid of North Carolina office.

Where does legal aid money come from?

The Government provides money to help pay for your case. The money comes from the Community Legal Services Fund (CLS) and is administered by the Legal Aid Agency.

How do I get visitation rights in NC?

If two parents cannot agree, the non-custodial parent may file a visitation complaint with the court to request increased visitation time. In some North Carolina districts, the court requires mandatory mediation for parents before the court decides on visitation issues.

What is nonprofit legal services?

Depending what is available in your area, you may find a nonprofit (charitable) organization with lawyers or legal assistants on staff, dedicated to providing low-cost legal services to particular populations. For example, various nonprofits serve senior citizens, immigrants and refugees, disabled or mentally challenged persons, artists youth, battered women, low-income tenants, and so on. Such organizations might also coordinate getting pro bono (free) help from attorneys in private practice.

What are the federal grants for civil cases?

Federal grants fund a national network of legal service offices providing free legal help in civil cases to low-income people. Staff attorneys and experienced paralegals can help with divorce, landlord-tenant, subsidized housing, public assistance, Social Security, and unemployment cases. These lawyers may also know about non-legal resources like temporary housing, domestic violence shelters, and food banks.

What is federal grant?

What can a courthouse facilitator do?

A courthouse facilitator can at least help you figure out where you should file your paperwork and walk you through the process of getting your paperwork to the right people within the court system.

What amendment protects criminal defendants?

By Brian Farkas, Attorney. Updated: Jul 23rd, 2020. Under the protections of the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, criminal defendants are generally entitled to legal counsel if they cannot afford a lawyer of their own.

Why are foundations understaffed?

Because such organizations often rely primarily on funding from individuals, or limited-term grants from foundations , they are typically understaffed and quite busy. You are not guaranteed help from any of them, and may need to do some calling around or waiting before one has an opening.

Does legal aid help with income?

Most legal aid offices help only people with incomes below a certain level. Some programs also consider all your assets, no matter what your income. Search the Internet or your local phone directory for “legal services” or “legal aid” in your city. Most federally funded legal services offices will not, however, ...

Do law firms offer free consultations?

Most law firms offer free consultations to see whether clients are a good match for them. The best part is, during these consultations, the lawyers will navigate your case and discuss what they would if they were to take up your case. Even if you can’t afford their services, their advice and direction may be all you need for your case.

Do lawyers work part time?

Some lawyers work part-time for charities or represent certain populations. For instance, you’ll find that certain lawyers decide to work with specific professionals, such as artists, musicians, writers, and the like. Similarly, there are those lawyers that work with certain socioeconomic backgrounds for charitable reasons.

What is legal aid?

Legal aid offices are not-for-profit agencies that provide free legal help to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. While many legal aid offices only help people with very low incomes, some offices have more flexible income rules.

How to find a lawyer for a case?

You can call your local bar association’s lawyer referral service to find a licensed, private lawyer who has experience with your type of legal problem and will meet with you for a reduced fee. The lawyer will meet with you for 30 minutes about your case for a fee of less than $50. It is very important to carefully review the fee agreement before you hire the lawyer to start working on your case. Sometimes there is no fee for medical malpractice, car accident or worker’s compensation cases because the lawyer will only get paid if you win your case.

What is LawHelp Interactive?

LawHelp Interactive helps you fill out legal forms.

What does it mean when a lawyer says everything is confidential?

Everything you say to your lawyer is confidential, which means that it is not shared with anyone outside of the legal aid office. Since everything you say to your lawyer is confidential, tell your lawyer the truth. Your lawyer can help you best when you tell your lawyer the truth.

What to do if you have a child custody case?

Family law – if you have a child custody or divorce case, legal aid may be able to help. Call your local legal aid office or ask the Judge in your case to appoint a legal aid lawyer to represent you in court.

What is Greater Hartford Legal Aid?

Greater Hartford Legal Aid (GHLA) provides legal representation to low-income persons who live in the greater Hartford area.

What is legal assistance in Connecticut?

What Legal Assistance is Available in Connecticut? There are several options for legal assistance in civil matters for people who cannot afford a lawyer. These include the Legal Services Network, law clinics associated with Connecticut’s three law schools, and a variety of other agencies offering legal assistance, often to special populations. What is the Legal Services Network? The Legal Services Network in Connecticut is a collaborative of five non-profit legal aid agencies which provide legal assistance in civil matters to low income individuals and families. Some of the funding for these programs comes from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), an agency established by the federal government to provide funding to state legal aid agencies. Other funding for the Legal Services Network comes from local agencies like United Ways and from special trusts established by local bar associations. The members of this network in Connecticut are:

What is legal services network?

What is the Legal Services Network? The Legal Services Network in Connecticut is a collaborative of five non-profit legal aid agencies which provide legal assistance in civil matters to low income individuals and families.

What is SLS in law?

SLS is the only agency that receives funding from the Legal Services Corporation.

What is Pisgah Legal Services?

Pisgah Legal Services provides free legal help in non-criminal matters to people who cannot afford a private attorney.

What to do if you are homebound in court?

If you are homebound, or have a court date that needs action at once, please tell the receptionist when you call. If you are asked to come in for an appointment, please bring all papers related to your case.

What counties does PLS serve?

PLS primarily helps people in Buncombe, Avery, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania,and Yancey counties. We provide limited immigration services in other Western North Carolina counties.

Does Pisgah Legal charge for services?

Pisgah Legal does not charge for our services and will not ask for bank account information or money payments over the phone. If you receive a phone call from someone saying they are from PLS and asking for your financial information to process a payment this is a scam and DO NOT PROVIDE them with any information.

Do we handle personal injury cases?

We do not usually handle personal injury cases, bankruptcies, property transactions, or traffic accident cases.

Does Pisgah Legal Services discriminate?

Pisgah Legal Services is committed to equal justice for all people. Pisgah Legal Services does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, immigration status, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Concerns about discrimination should be brought to ...

What happens if you can't get legal aid?from citizensadvice.org.uk

If you can't get legal aid, there's a small chance you might get help through 'exceptional case funding'.

Why is finding a lawyer so difficult?from courts.ca.gov

Finding a free or low-cost lawyer is difficult because there are a lot of people who need lawyers but cannot afford them. Here are the main groups that may be able to help you: Court-based self-help services. Legal aid agencies and other non-profit groups. Government agencies.

What is nonprofit legal services?from lawyers.com

What is a lawyer referral?from courts.ca.gov

Lawyer referral services help people find lawyers. They can tell you about free or low-cost legal services in your area for people who qualify. If you do not qualify for free help, they can give you other information to help you find legal help that does not cost you a lot of money.

What happens if you join a trade union?from citizensadvice.org.uk

If you've joined an organisation like a trade union, they might offer you free legal help. Or you might get help with legal expenses as part of another subscription, insurance policy or credit card agreement.

What is legal aid in California?from courts.ca.gov

Legal aid agencies are non-profit organizations that provide free legal services to people below a certain income level. Before you can get help from a legal aid agency, you usually have to qualify for their help based on your low income.

What are the federal grants for civil cases?from lawyers.com

How to get legal counsel without paying up front?

There is another way to get legal counsel without significant up-front expenses. This is the “contingency fee” arrangement, whereby one's payment to their attorney is contingent upon that lawyer getting some form of recovery for the client. Generally, the client pays either nothing out-of-pocket, or only some of the costs of the case (like filing and service fees). At the conclusion of the case, if the attorney loses, the client pays nothing, but if the attorney recovers any money for the client, then the attorney takes his or her fees as a percentage of the award.

Who needs an attorney the most?

Frequently, the people who need an attorney the most are also the ones who can least afford to pay for one. Whether accused of a crime, injured in an accident, or facing the possibility of losing your children, there are many situations where the stakes are so high that you might desperately need an attorney even though you have no way to pay. ...

How to find a lawyer in your area?

If you want to find an attorney in your area that might be able to help you with your case, visit HG.org and use the attorney search feature. You can search by practice area and location to find someone that can help you with your particular matter right where you live. When you call them, be sure to ask if they handle cases on a contingency fee basis, if they ever take on any pro bono representation, or if they can help you find more information about someone who might be able to assist you. You can also contact local bar associations, pro bono clinics, legal aid societies, and even law libraries to get more information about free and reduced rate legal representation in your area.

What is the right of an indigent person to counsel?

On appeal from his conviction, the Supreme Court held that the right of an indigent (i.e., poor) defendant in a criminal case to have the assistance of counsel is a fundamental right essential to a fair trial. Thus, the conviction was overturned and the right to legal counsel in a criminal case was finally and firmly established.

What happens if an attorney loses a case?

At the conclusion of the case, if the attorney loses, the client pays nothing, but if the attorney recovers any money for the client, then the attorney takes his or her fees as a percentage of the award.

What is a public defender?

Most commonly, the defendant receives the services of a Public Defender, an attorney paid by the state to represent clients with no means of representing themselves. These are overworked and underpaid civil servants that often receive an unfair reputation as being less skilled or less concerned than a private attorney.

What is a conflict attorney?

Thus, when someone has a conflict with the Public Defender's office, so-called “conflict attorneys” may be appointed by the court. These are usually private attorneys that have volunteered to assist the court in these situations.

What percentage of low income people receive no legal aid?

The Legal Services Corporation, the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans in the nation, reported in June that 86 percent of low-income Americans receive inadequate or no professional legal help for the civil legal problems they face.

Who advocates for the right to counsel?

Some experts, like John Pollock with the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, have focused on expanding the right to counsel in civil cases implicating basic human needs. Others have advocated for expansion of the right to counsel in lower-level criminal cases where the consequences – including obstacles to housing or employment, or deportation – can still be incredibly high.

How many pro se litigants are unrepresented?

In some states, as many as 80 to 90 percent of litigants are unrepresented, even though their opponent has a lawyer. The number of these “pro se litigants” has risen substantially in the last decade, due in part to the economic downturn and the relationship between poor economic conditions and issues like housing and domestic relations.

What are the tasks that self-represented litigants must perform in civil cases?

In one study, researchers identified almost 200 discrete tasks that self-represented litigants must perform in civil cases – from finding the right court to interpreting the law, filing motions, compiling evidence and negotiating a settlement . Some of these tasks require specialized knowledge of the law and of the court system. Almost all require time away from work and caring for children. Many also require the ability to get to the courthouse, to read and to speak English or access a translator.

What are the issues that civil cases involve?

Civil cases can involve a range of critical issues, including housing, public benefits, child custody and domestic violence. And while some civil litigants may be entitled to counsel in certain jurisdictions, in most of these cases, people who cannot afford a lawyer will be forced to go it alone.

How many counties in Georgia have no lawyers?

Our center recently published a map of Georgia’s legal deserts. In our state, there are five counties without any lawyers at all and another 59 with 10 lawyers or fewer.

What is self represented litigation?

The Self-Represented Litigation Network, a nonprofit focused on reforming the system to help those representing themselves, has also used mapping tools to depict how access to the justice system can vary across the country and sometimes even within the same state.

Federally Funded Programs

Charitable Organizations Serving Particular Populations

Pro Bono Programs and Bar Associations

Law School Clinics

Courthouse Facilitators

Low-Cost Legal Programs

It's easy to have too much income to qualify for legal services, yet still be unable to afford a private attorney. There are programs to help people who fall into this group. Telephone hotlines, for example, may charge by the minute. Or, look for sliding-fee programs to get you the advice and representation you need at the lowest price possible. Th...

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Public Defenders

A public defender is a lawyer who works for the benefit of the public. Their role is to uphold people who have been criminally charged or require aid with civil affairs when incapable of paying their legal representation. Defendants who have demonstrated that they cannot afford good counsel for their case are assigned an attorney by the courts. Fol...

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