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Legal Aid

Legal Aid
Bills.com Team
UpdatedMar 11, 2024
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    4 min read

Don't give up if you cannot afford a lawyer. Chances are, there are several organizations in your area that provide low- and no-cost legal aid to people with low income.

The table below contains links to legal aid organizations in all US states plus the District of Columbia.

The table also includes links to state consumer protection organizations that may be able to help you.

Legal Aid ContactsState Consumer Protection Authority
AlabamaLegal Services Alabama and other Alabama pro bono programsAttorney General Office of Consumer Protection
AlaskaAlaska Legal Services Corp. and Alaska Law HelpAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Unit
ArizonaCommunity Legal Services and other Arizona pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
ArkansasArkansas Legal Services and other Arkansas pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
CaliforniaLaw Help CA and other California pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
ColoradoColorado Legal Services and other Colorado Legal Services and other Colorado pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Section
ConnecticutStatewide Legal Services of Connecticut and other Connecticut pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
DelawareLegal Services Corp. of Delaware and Delaware Volunteer Legal ServicesAttorney General's Office Fraud & Consumer Protection Division
District of ColumbiaNeighborhood Legal Services Program and other DC pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection and Public Advocacy Dept.
FloridaFlorida Legal Services and other Florida pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
GeorgiaGeorgia Legal Services, Georgia Legal Aid and other Georgia pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Office of Consumer Protection Dept.
HawaiiLegal Aid Society of Hawaii and other Hawaii pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
IdahoIdaho Legal Aid Services and other Idaho pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
IllinoisIllinois pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
IndianaIndiana Legal Services and other Indiana pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
IowaIowa Legal Aid and other Iowa pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
KansasKansas Legal Services and other Kansas pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
KentuckyLegal Aid Society and other Kentucky pro bono programsAttorney General's Office of Consumer Protection
LouisianaLouisiana Law Help and other Louisiana pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
MaineLaw Help MN and other Maine pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
MarylandLaw Help NY and other Legal Aid Bureau and other Maryland pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
MassachusettsMassLegalHelp and other Massachusetts pro bono projectsAttorney General's Office of Consumer Affairs
MichiganMichigan pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
MinnesotaMinnesota pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
MississippiouriMississippi Legal Services and other Mississippi pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
MissouriMissouri pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division"
MontanaMontana Legal Services and other Montana pro bono servicesAttorney General's Office
NebraskaLegal Aid of Nebraska and other Nebraska pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
NevadaNevada Legal Services and other Nevada pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
New HampshireLegal Advice & Referral Center and other New Hampshire pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau
New JerseyNew Jersey pro bono programsOffice of the Attorney General
New MexicoNew Mexico Legal Aid and other New Mexico pro bono programsAttorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
New YorkNew York pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
North CarolinaLegal Aid of North Carolina, Law Help NC and other North Carolina pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
North DakotaLegal Services of North DakotaAttorney General's Office
OhioOhio State Legal Services and other Ohio pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
OklahomaLegal Aid Services of Oklahoma and other Olahoma pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
OregonLegal Aid Services of Oregon, Oregon Law Help and other Oregon pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
PennsylvaniaPA Law Help and other Pennsylvania pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
Rhode IslandRhode Island Legal Services and other Rhode Island pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
South CarolinaSouth Carolina Legal Services and other South Carolina pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
South DakotaSouth Dakota pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
TennesseeTennessee pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
TexasTexas Law Help and other Texas pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
UtahUtah Legal Services and other Utah pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
VermontLegal Services Law Line of Vermont and other Vermont pro bono servicesAttorney General's Office
VirginiaVirginia Legal Aid and other Virginia pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
WashingtonWashington Advocate Resource Center and other Washington pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
West VirginiaLegal Aid of West Virginia and other West Virginia pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
WisconsinLegal Action of Wisconsin and other Wisconsin pro bono programsAttorney General's Office
WyomingLegal Aid of Wyoming and other Wyoming pro bono programsAttorney General's Office

Legal assistance contacts. Source: Bills.com

Struggling with debt?

Mortgages, credit cards, student loans, personal loans, and auto loans are common types of debts. According to the NY Federal Reserve total household debt as of Q4 2023 was $17.503 trillion. Housing debt totaled $12.612 trillion and non-housing debt was $4.891 trillion.

According to data gathered by Urban.org from a sample of credit reports, about 26% of people in the US have some kind of debt in collections. The median debt in collections is $1,739. Student loans and auto loans are common types of debt. Of people holding student debt, approximately 10% had student loans in collections. The national Auto/Retail debt delinquency rate was 4%.

The amount of debt and debt in collections vary by state. For example, in Utah, 19% have any kind of debt in collections and the median debt in collections is $1943. Medical debt is common and 12% have that in collections. The median medical debt in collections is $980.

Avoiding collections isn’t always possible. A sudden loss of employment, death in the family, or sickness can lead to financial hardship. Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with debt including an aggressive payment plan, debt consolidation loan, or a negotiated settlement.

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6 Comments

BBill, Apr, 2010
The quick and glib answer is that you cannot stop the process. If you were at-fault for the accident, the parties who suffered a loss have the right to collect their damages from the owner of the vehicle and its operator (you). If the parties who suffered a loss cannot collect their damages from the owner of the vehicle, they will collect their damages from you.
bbrittny kirsch, Apr, 2010
i was in a accident with my moms car it did not have a insurance at the time. they are going after my mom, what can i do to stop this?
BBill, Feb, 2010
See the Bills.com resource Collections Advice to learn about the remedies that judgment-creditors have available, including lien, garnishment, and levy. As mentioned in the article above, consult with an attorney in your state to learn about your rights in your state.
LLori, Feb, 2010
I have a question? I am a single mother of two, I am currently enrolled full time as a student and I am not workig at the time. A credit card company is trying to get a judgement against me for the amount of 1600 dollars owed on a credit card. Six Hundred of that is late fees and interest. The only income I have is my child support and my student loans. I live in Kentucky. Would they be able to put a lein on my car that is in both my name and my dads and get a judgement on my bank acount where the child support and loans are deposited? Would I be able to wait an try to pay off the judgement when I can?
BBill, Feb, 2010
It is impossible for me to say if you have a lien on your property without examining all of the documentation you have relating to your debt, and in particular the documents that suggest to you that a lien is in place. Accordingly, consult with an attorney in your state who can review your documentation in person.
CCeleste J, Feb, 2010
Credit card company sent letter for me to appear in court and I did not appear relating to credit card hearing since I did not appear they sent constable to my home with summons to appear in court or a warrant would be issued for credit card bill hearing. When I did not appear an automatic lien was placed on my home for a judgment of $6000. When I went to court I mediated with the Lawyer, appeared in front of judge and the lawyer put a monthly payment I must pay every month. We negotiated again, I sent a lump sum of 1,500 with a letter requesting no fees, no accumalation of interest. Just payment of 125 m. on 4,000 balance due. Does that mean the lien has been removed from my home?How can they lien my house for a 6,000 debt so quickly without me appearing before a judge?Will the remove the Lien now if I request it or do I have to pay the judgment off first? Can I refinance with a lien on my house?