There are specialized legal aid organizations and programs for communities such as veterans, survivors of sexual assault, seniors and people with disabilities. To be eligible for these services, you must meet these requirements. Despite the dedicated advocacy of lawyers who often dedicate their careers to the needs of low-income individuals, programs are significantly underfunded and often forced to prioritize services to the most disadvantaged clients in a limited number of issues affecting their most pressing legal needs. Nevertheless, it is estimated that about half of those eligible for legal aid programmes will have to be turned back. Those who are served often receive brief advice and limited services. Rejected people rely on self-help and the provision of legal information, but even these resources are not available to everyone who needs them. Created by FindLaw`s team of writers and legal writers| Last updated: 20 June 2016 The pro bono support of private lawyers is an invaluable addition to the services of legal aid programs offered by employees. Pro bono practice is quickly institutionalized in private companies and corporate legal departments. However, the unmet need for civil legal aid is so great that only transformative changes in the provision of special legal aid structures in the United States will enable that country to provide access to justice for all. What is a legal service/legal aid office? Legal aid firms, also known as legal aid offices, employ lawyers hired to provide legal assistance to poor clients. Lawyers are usually experts in the types of problems that poor clients most often face. Check out our link to the directory of Legal Services Corporation legal aid programs in your state. Other sources of legal aid funding include private foundations and donations, government funding, often through state legal foundations, contracts and grants from federal, state, and local agencies, and scholarships.
If you need help with a civil law issue, enter an address or city below to find an LSC-funded legal aid organization near you. If you don`t qualify for free or low-cost legal aid, find out how to work with a private lawyer. Many legal aid offices may be able to resolve other issues such as immigration, consumers and people with disabilities. Some legal aid centres focus on one area of law, such as disability law or housing law. Some legal aid offices receive funding from the government, which may limit the type of cases they can accept. If you are a victim of domestic violence or fear for your safety, you may be eligible for free legal aid from agencies that can help you gather evidence of abuse, including seeking injunctions. For immediate help wherever you are, contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). If you currently receive financial assistance through other public assistance programs such as SSI/SSP, Food Stamps Program, County Relief, Older Americans Act, and Developmentally Disabled Assistance Act, you may be eligible for additional free legal services in your state. LSC has a long history of supporting victims of natural disasters. LSC has built a national network of experience and expertise — including legal service providers and national organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — to help programs better assist disaster victims. If you are not eligible to receive free legal services based on any of the above criteria, you may want to speak to a lawyer in your area to discuss other fee arrangements. Non-Texas residents can search the National Directory of Legal Aid Organizations or the American Bar Association`s Legal Referral Service for legal assistance.
To find free legal aid in your area, check out FindLaw`s legal aid resources for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. LSC is an independent, nonprofit organization founded by Congress in 1974 to provide low-income Americans with financial assistance for civil legal aid. The company currently funds 132 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations in every U.S. state, District of Columbia and territory. Legal advice is often the only lifeline available to people facing life-changing consequences, such as losing their homes, jobs or custody of their children. For example, research has shown that the provision of legal services “significantly reduces the incidence of family violence.” The form of assistance depends on the nature of the legal problem the client is facing. Legal aid lawyers represent clients in a variety of matters outside of court, litigate before the courts on their behalf, and often conduct complex litigation seeking systemic change that affects many people facing similar circumstances. Even if you are eligible for legal aid, this does not mean that the organisation will automatically take over your case. Nearly a million poor people who seek help with civil law problems are turned away for lack of resources.