24 Hour Legal Aid California

There are several government agencies that can provide legal assistance. If you are looking for information on this website for legal topics, you will find information about specific government agencies that help you with this. If you don`t understand something on this website or have trouble filling out your court forms, talk to a lawyer. If you are representing yourself and filling out your own court forms, we recommend that you review them with a lawyer before filing them. You can get a referral to a lawyer or legal aid group from the local Santa Clara County Bar Association. Your phone number is 408-971-6822. Public interest non-profit organizations, such as groups that deal with civil liberties or discrimination in the housing market, may be able to help. These groups sometimes have employed lawyers who may be able to handle your case. Others provide legal assistance only to groups of people and not to individuals. For example, they could help you and your neighbours convince your city council to install a traffic light at a busy intersection. In addition, mutual legal assistance agencies cannot assist in all types of cases.

Mutual legal assistance agencies generally assist in cases of domestic violence, family law, deportations, benefits, immigration, employment issues and other types of cases that can cause serious problems in a person`s daily life. They probably won`t be able to help you if, for example, you want to sue someone for a car accident (unless you file an application in Small Claims Court, as some legal aid programs help handle small claims cases). However, if you need a lawyer and can`t afford one, it`s always a good idea to try to get help from a legal aid agency in your area. Don`t get discouraged if they can`t help you. We are strongly committed to holistic legal aid for low-income residents. Community Legal Aid SoCal promotes equal access to the justice system through advocacy, self-help services, community building, legal advice and representation. We provide free and high-quality civil law services to the most vulnerable members of society whose human rights and basic needs are threatened and for whom there are significant obstacles to justice. Lawyer referral services help people find lawyers.

They can inform you of free or low-cost legal services in your area for eligible individuals. If you don`t qualify for free help, they can give you more information to help you find legal aid that won`t cost you a lot of money. For example, they keep lists of lawyers who will meet with you once to discuss your case. They won`t charge you much – usually $20 to $45. Sometimes this initial consultation is all you need to start with yourself. The lawyer will also explain what services they can offer you and how much you can expect. Some lawyers have lower fees for people who don`t have a lot of money. Some lawyers will help you with important parts of your case and let you do the rest (called « limited-scope representation » or « unbundling »). Free legal advice for qualified people in the fields: Do you need legal advice but can`t afford a lawyer? You can talk to a local legal aid group. There are local legal aid agencies that offer free and cost-effective legal services.

Click on a link to learn more about their services. See also this list of « Do It Yourself » self-help resources compiled by the Court`s self-help office. Prepaid legal services plans work in several ways. When considering a plan, pay close attention to what the plan does and doesn`t do. If you don`t expect to have legal requirements covered by the plan in the next year, you should think carefully before purchasing a plan. If you believe you could use a service under the plan, such as: Preparing a simple will, you should know that lawyers who accept the plan will likely try to sell you an updated service. In some cases, it makes sense to get the updated service, but there may be no cost savings due to enrolling in the plan. There are many free legal advice services that are also available online, but we highly recommend that you take all online advice with a grain of salt. The law varies from state to state, and those who provide legal advice often have different opinions and may not even have the right to practice law. That being said, here are some of the most popular websites: Please note: Bay Area Legal Aid helps people with civil law issues.

We do not provide assistance in criminal matters. If you need help with a criminal case, contact your local public defense attorney`s office or bar association. For tips on how to find the right lawyer, questions to ask when hiring a lawyer, and how to avoid fraud, check out our free legal information. The legal advice line responds to more than 1,500 calls per month. Opening hours for incoming LAL calls may be closed before the advertised time due to high demand. If you are applying for legal aid, you may have to wait more than fifteen minutes for your call to be answered. Please be patient; Our lawyers work hard to answer all the calls we receive.