How To Get Legal Service When You’re Low Income

There are thousands of lawyers in the United States today but that doesn’t mean that obtaining a legal service is cheap. In fact, they can actually end up costing you thousands of dollars. This can make it particularly difficult for those who don’t make a lot of money to find good legal help, especially if the other party has a lot of money available to spend. However, there are some free legal services available for you in this case.

So, who can you obtain free legal service, or at least relatively inexpensive legal services, from whenever you’re considered to be a low income American? There are:
1. Public defenders’ legal service can be requested of a judge. These will be granted if the judge determines that you can’t afford to pay for a lawyer yourself. Sometimes there will still be a small fee for this type of legal service but typically there’s not.
2. Legal service can also be obtained from legal aid officers who are found throughout the U.S. These offices employ staff lawyers who work specifically with low income clients. Most of these lawyers specialize in just one area of law, such as civil and juvenile rights, immigration, crime, or labor law. While they don’t work for free, their costs are a whole lot less than what you’d pay for a private attorney.
3. There are also pro bono programs that supply volunteer lawyers who will take on legal cases for free. These programs are typically a part of the state or local bar association. In some areas the Legal Aid Society also participates in pro bono programs.
4. There are legal hotlines available for some legal situations. These will provide you with free help. These hotlines are available for anyone to call in and get legal advice over the telephone. A legal hotline may also be able to refer you to some inexpensive legal services. Sometimes these legal hotlines will provide you with legal forms, prepare letters for you and even review documents too.