Free Legal Assistance and Advice for African Americans

There are many reasons why people may need legal assistance and advice in their lifetime. When and if the time comes it can be quite costly. Obtaining legal advice or assistance can cost you thousands even before anything much has been done. The average amount that lawyers charge, for example, is around $300 per hour. Those who are financially challenged and in need of legal advice may want to consider using free resources.

There are a number of free legal assistance and advice opportunities for African Americans and others who need help. The programs are in place to assist those who need information and legal advice, but may not be able to pay the high rates that it costs to work with an attorney. The programs often charge a lower rate, according to a sliding scale fee, or they provide the services for free.

Exhausting Your Resources

If you have no money to hire an attorney and yet you need legal advice, you can contact organizations and local churches. There are local places that may provide you with legal help or will help you pay for the assistance that you need. They may also be able to provide you with referrals to free and local cost legal assistance programs in your area.

Here are additional places to contact for free legal assistance and advice”:

Legal Aid – This is an organization that helps people around the country with free legal advice and information. No matter where you live in the country you can contact them to get help. They can provide you with the information online or over the phone, so you don’t have to go to an office anywhere to meet with anyone. There are Legal Aid offices in every state, so you will need to find the one that is in your state. This is important to do, because laws vary by state and you want to be sure to get legal advice that pertains to the state you live in. To find the Legal Aid office for your state, do a Google search for “Legal Aid in STATE NAME” and the results should come up.

State Bar – Every state has a state bar office. This is the office that is in charge of the lawyers in that state. They can also be a great resource for finding free and low cost legal assistance in the state you live in. All you have to do is contact your state bar office and let them know what kind of legal issue you have. They can help you find a free or low cost attorney in your specific area. They will give you the attorney’s contact information and then you can contact them to arrange a meeting to get legal assistance and advice. Free legal advice is called pro bono, so when you contact your state bar you will want to ask them for a pro bono attorney who handles your type of case. If you are in a custody dispute, for example, you would ask for a pro bono attorney who handles custody issues in your area of the state. You can do a Google search for the state bar website in your area.

Council on Aging – Many areas of the country have Council on Aging offices. They provide services to the senior citizens that are living in that particular area. One of the services some of them offer is help with legal issues. You can find your local Council on Aging office and inquire about free legal assistance and advice. They should be able to at least provide you with local referrals to helpful programs.

Catholic Charities – Those who are inquiring about legal issues surrounding immigration issues may be able to get help through this organization. While Catholic Charities is known for providing helpful services for those in need in the community, including offering food, clothing, and shelters, they also do provide legal help for those who have immigration issues. Their legal services include helping with legal consultations, family petitions, citizenship, employment authorization, and more. To get more information about their legal services, click here.

Law Schools – There are nearly 200 accredited law schools around the country. There is a good chance that there is one not far from where you live. Law schools often provide limited free legal advice and assistance for African Americans and others who need it. They do this to give their law students a chance to practice on real world cases. You can contact the law schools in your area to inquire about if they provide any type of free or low cost legal assistance to those in the community.

Law Help – This is an organization that has put a lot of free legal information and advice online for those who may need it. They provide legal help by state, legal guides, access to pro bono professionals, and more. Being able to get in touch with pro bono attorneys is a great step for those who need more than a simple legal question or two answered. To get more information about what Law Help does and take advantage of their free services, click here.

Veterans Legal Help – Those who are veterans or are the family members of veterans can get legal help and assistance through Stateside Legal. The organization provides the services to all U.S. veterans and their family members. They offer the service nationwide. You can use their online map to locate an office near you. To get more information and find a  local office, click here.

American Bar Association – This bar association represents attorneys around the country. They can help you find a pro bono, or free, attorney in your area. They are a good resource to turn to in order to get free or low cost specific legal information or assistance. They also offer free legal answers, so you can read many of their articles to find the answers to the legal questions you may have. To get more information, click here.

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