How does this program help me?

Legal Services and Assistance Programs provide free legal assistance in civil matters (not criminal cases). You may be able to get free legal advice and/or legal representation in court or agency hearings.

Help is available in various areas, including:

• Employment: These legal services can help you:
  •  Get unemployment pay and benefits
  • Protect your rights if you're a victim of discrimination at work
  • Make sure you get the minimum wage or overtime payments you deserve

• Family: These legal services can support you by:
  • Representing you in court if you're a victim of domestic violence, and making sure you and your children are safe
  • Providing support in issues of child custody, visitation rights, divorce, name change, elder abuse and exploitation, domestic violence, and mental health commitment
  • Helping you get child support in divorce and paternity cases
  • Helping social services in guardianship and conservatorship of minors

• Health, Disability, and Income Maintenance: These legal services can help you get and/or keep:
  • Cash benefit programs (Social Security, SSI, SSDI, and TANF)
  • Health insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, and other health insurance programs)
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits
  • Unemployment benefits, veterans benefits, and workers' compensation

• Housing: These legal services can help you and your family:
  • Get access to emergency shelter and long-term housing
  • Handle landlord/tenant issues (such as eviction defenses, rent disputes, illegal lockouts, utility cutoffs by landlords, housing discrimination, and public or subsidized housing disputes)
• Consumer and Finance: These legal services can help you with:
  • Bankruptcy, debt relief, credit access, loans, and installment purchases
  • Contracts and warranties
  • Energy and public utilities
  • Unfair sales practices
• Immigration: These services can support you by:
  • Helping you get legal status to stay in the U.S. if you are an undocumented battered woman or fleeing persecution in your own country
  • Representing you in removal proceedings and political asylum cases
  • Providing assistance if you are a refugee 

• Individual Rights: These legal services can help you with mental health issues, physically disabled rights, and long-term care resident rights.

• Miscellaneous: These legal services can help you with issues related to licenses, general wills/estates, living wills, and powers of attorney.

Legal Services and Assistance Programs also include projects that serve special populations (such as limited English-speaking populations). They also provide community outreach and legal education.

How do I get help?

If you're an older adult, contact your local Area Agencies on Aging to get a referral for services. To find your state’s legal aid office, go to LawHelp.org or the Legal Services Corporation website.