7 Great Alternatives For When You Can't Afford An Attorney
How to Find an Excellent Lawyer
Before looking for an attorney, decide what kind you need. Common fields include:
These programs offer a variety of ways to get legal aid. Some limit their services to people with low incomes.
Stateside Legal - Find free legal help for military members, veterans, and their families.
Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They'll get you the answer or let you know where to find it.
When you call 1-800-ATTORNEY (1-800-288-6763) , you’ll be connected with an attorney in your area who’s familiar with the laws in your state, who’s willing to listen to your concerns, and who can explain the options available to you moving forward. Calls are answered 24 hours a day! 24/7 FREE LEGAL ADVICE: 1-800-ATTORNEY.
When you call 1-800-ATTORNEY (1-800-288-6763), you’ll be connected with an attorney in your area who’s familiar with ...
There are many free legal advice services available online as well, but we strongly advise you to take all online advice with a grain of salt. The law varies from state to state, and those giving legal advice will often have differing opinions, and may not even be licensed to practice law.
In a criminal proceeding, if you can't afford legal assistance, a court will appoint an attorney for you. In a civil case, generally described as a dispute between two private parties, to get legal representation, you have to get creative. Here's how to find legal help if you can't afford a lawyer:
Legal aid societies are nonprofit organizations found in almost every corner of the country that provide free legal services to low-income people. While this is certainly worth exploring, the problem for many households is that the individual or couple makes too much money to qualify for help.
The Akron Bar Association, in Akron, Ohio, is an example of what's out there. You can call the second and fourth Fridays of each month from 9 to 11 a.m., as part of their Ask an Attorney Service, and they'll answer legal questions for free.
It's risky for lawyers to take cases on contingency, and they need to be confident a judge or jury will side with you, and that there's going to be something sizable awarded to you. While no legal expert will suggest you represent yourself, it is an option if you're in a financial bind.
For instance, you can't go to small claims court if you're trying to work out your financial affairs after a divorce. But if the stakes are fairly low where someone owes you money or is trying to collect money from you, and it isn't worth risking lawyer fees, you might consider small claims court.
An attorney might give you a discount. Also, many attorneys offer payment plans, so that you're paying monthly instead of one huge sum all at once. Of course, you could hit the jackpot and find a pro bono lawyer, or you might find someone willing to take your case on contingency.
The Legal Aid Society is a New York-based social justice law firm that believes in providing equal justice to all.
LawHelp.org is an online-based entity that provides free legal resources and assistance to low-earners.
Pro Bono Net is a web-based membership site for legal advocates and courts, law students and professors, legal aid attorneys, and pro bono lawyers across the U.S. and Canada.
Human Rights First is an independent international human rights body headquartered in Washington and New York City. Over the last three decades, the organization has defended human freedom, rights, and dignity around the world. Therefore, it can be trusted to affect what it says.
Taproot Foundation is a non-profit firm that focuses on I.T., creation, strategic leadership, marketing, and H.R. resource experts in the pro bono service industry. It does so to enable the creation of infrastructure for other free legal aid organizations.
Equal Justice Works is another non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. that focuses on public service lawyer careers and their essential services. As such, it brings together a comprehensive network of lawyers, and law students, among other legal stakeholders for facilitation purposes.
Lawyers Without Borders is a non-profit corporation whose primary goal is to bring about integrity, build capacity, and improve the global rule of law within the justice industry. For instance, it aims at creating resources and programs that bring justice closer under the principle of independence and neutrality.
Avvo is a public online platform of attorneys where you can get free legal advice and more information by reading questions asked by other people.
American Bar Association is a legal clinic that offers free legal advice from volunteer attorneys. However, this is brief advice on general legal issues, and they may refer you to the best lawyer with practice concentration and experience.
Quora is an online resource and a primary source of information on various topics such as babysitting, travel, relationships, science, astronomy, real estate, and music.
Reddit is one of the few online platforms that encourage members to post and respond anonymously about various issues from relationships, work, health, real estate, law, and finance.
Under the FreeAdvice.com website, you can fit the right attorney to handle your legal issues. The platform is free and doesn’t require registration or sign up to get free legal help.
LawGuru offers you free and private legal advice to your legal questions from attorneys from different fields, such as Bankruptcy, traffic, criminal, divorces, and family law.
FindLaw website has a directory of more than 17000 lawyers in different practice areas who provide free legal advice.