Top 10 Ways To Find Legal Help Without A Lot Of Money
While poor defendants in criminal cases can ask for free legal representation from a public defender or court-appointed private attorney, there is no right to a free attorney for a lawsuit. Read on for the top 10 ways to find legal help without a lot of money.
- Contact the local bar association for referrals: Bar associations are associations of lawyers and typically have a referral service you can ask for names of low-cost attorneys.
- Contact your local law school: Law students have to learn how to be lawyers, and some do this by joining clinics where they get to work with real clients on real cases. These students are always supervised by a licensed attorney, so you may end up getting quality legal help from a “team” of professionals.
- Contact a legal aid society: These are not-for-profit organizations or groups of lawyers within a community that help provide legal assistance for those who need it. They may be especially willing to help you on immigration, family law, or other related issues that fit into the type of case legal aid was specifically designed to help people manage
- Contact a special interest group: There are all sorts of lobbyist and special interest groups. Some seek tort reform or changes to the tort system; others aim to protect the environment or protect the Constitution. In order for these organizations to affect change, many will represent plaintiffs who have been wronged by something they view as unfair. Since they can only bring a case to court if there is an actual controversy – in other words, if they have a plaintiff – they may be very eager to help you if your interests align with theirs.
- Contact your church or other support institution: They may have ties to local attorneys who would be willing to provide low cost legal help and advice
- Look for contingent fee lawyers: This is usually only an option if you need to sue someone else, not if you have been sued or if you face a family law or divorce issue. These lawyers work for a payment that is based on a percentage of your recovery (30 percent is normal). If you do not win and get paid, they do not collect money from you.
- Ask about pro bono work: Pro bono work refers to a case a lawyer does for free. Some large law firms require their attorneys to take on a set amount of pro bono. Other attorneys take on pro bono simply because they want to. If you need legal help, you may have success by calling around and asking an attorney if anyone is interested in doing some pro bono work on your case. This strategy is most successful if you have been victimized or have been wronged, since attorneys usually want their pro bono to be meaningful and do good.
- Request paralegal help: Once you have hired a lawyer, you may want to request that they assign as many tasks as they can to a paralegal. Paralegals are often very qualified and skilled at doing legal research. They also tend to bill at a much lower hourly rate than lawyers. While paralegals have limits on what they can do – they can’t practice law or represent clients or give legal advice – using a paralegal to do some of the work can cut your legal fees dramatically.
- Contact your local courthouse or county clerk: In most states, they have information and resources to help individuals find a low cost attorney.
- Seek help from a government agency: Many government agencies have been set up to protect people’s rights. For example, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) protects employers from discrimination, while OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) protects against unsafe work environments. If your legal problem fits into one of the categories that an administrative government agency is in charge of, the agency may be able to help you get justice.