Get free legal advice in Texas

There are three primary organizations that provide free legal advice to families and individuals in Texas. They all proudly provide free civil legal services to eligible low and moderate income residents across the state.

All three law organizations are I.R.C. Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax exempt Texas Corporations. They raise their funds from a variety of sources, but they primarily include the Legal Services Corporation, the United Way, and the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. They also accept private donations and grants from both private and other government agencies.

While each firm will have its own programs in places, in general all three operate a telephone intake service and they also conduct community face to face visits and appointments at several locations throughout the specific part of Texas that they serve. Find details on the legal services they offer, as well as their contact information below, and how to meet with an attorney.

Housing Legal Assistance

This often includes any legal issue that people may have with their home or apartment. The organizations will provide free legal assistance to clients in order to prevent homelessness, keep their homes safe, support people with landlord issues and more. Some examples of the legal advice that people can get include help with:

• Evictions
• Foreclosure prevention advice
• Referral from City or County Housing Assistance Programs
• Landlord/Tenant issues alleging unsafe or unhealthy housing or even evictions
• Property tax issues that may lead to loss of homestead
• Predatory lending and foreclosure scams
• Code enforcement defense to save homestead
• Unsafe apartments or rental housing

Consumer Legal Advice

Free legal assistance is offered to help people deal with many of the financial issues they deal with on a daily basis, including:

• Bankruptcy, Debtor Relief, illegal debt collection practices
• Contracts and warranties that are not adhered to
• Unfair credit card terms, bills, and interest rates
• Federal and state of Texas Income Tax Controversies
• Collection (Including Medical Debt/ Repossession / Deficiency / Garnishment of wages)
• Illegal Collection Practices / Creditor Harassment
• Credit Access
• Predatory Lending and Foreclosure Companies
• Payday Loans, High interest rate loans, and other questionable lending practices. 
• Unfair Sales Practice

Social and Economic Assistance

Attorneys who are responsible for cases that fall into several areas of practice including consumer, tax law, real estate, and civil litigation will provide advice.

Family Law and Domestic Violence

This will usually focus on legal services being offered to victims of domestic violence. In addition, lawyers will be available to focus on protecting, preserving, supporting, and stabilizing the lives and rights of families. In particular, they focus on  what remains of families that may have been ripped apart by tragedies and / or domestic violence. Lawyers can help with :

• Divorce which may involve an imminent threat of family violence 
• Issuing protective orders where there has been violence or physical abuse
• Help with divorce involving collecting child support
• Child support enforcement
• Paternity lawsuits
• Legal advice to help with adoptions

Health

Lawyers can help clients with both preserving and protecting access to health care and health care benefits, dealing with insurance companies, medical bills and debts, and they an help with programs for the elderly and low income. Some of the legal services and representation offered can help with include:

• Medical or health care insurance eligibility or claim denial by an insurer
• Denial of indigent health care benefits by a government agency, a health care facility, or hospital district
• Denial of government Medicare or Medicaid eligibility, reimbursement or services
• Advice to help people preserving or obtaining home health care benefits
• Ways to stop nursing home evictions

Employment Advice

Clients can receive counsel from attorneys that can help them with protecting employees rights in the workplace. These organizations can also ensure that access is provided to benefit programs for the unemployed, unskilled, as well as the underemployed.

• Unlawful termination’s is a big issue that many individuals need legal support on
• Wage claims in TWC adjudication or judicial review
• Agency or internal reviews of employee grievance or termination
• Employment discrimination or racism
• Employee benefits, such as health care or severance

Government Programs and Public Benefits

Those low and moderate income persons that eligible for either federal or Texas government programs can get help. Attorneys will provide legal assistance and advice so that the most needy members of our community can take advantage of these offerings.

• Unemployment Clams and Compensation
• Social Security survivor, retirement or dependents issues
• SSI disability claims
• Social Security and SSI disability termination’s if continuing benefits paid
• Food Stamps and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• County and local government assistance programs
• Help with transitional child care and Medicaid, other welfare to work issues

Elderly and Senior Citizens

Receive free legal assistance in dealing with issues affecting the elderly, senior citizens, and retirees. They usually need help with health care, abuse, medical and hospital bills and debts, and nursing home problems.

• Insurance claim denials
• Unsafe nursing home conditions and evictions
• Health insurance and medical bill reimbursement program denials
• Health program coverage denials
• Home health care or Community Based Alternatives denials

Individual Legal Rights

This will ensure people have access to our fundamental institutions and government programs at the federal, state, and local levels

• Alleged discrimination
• Pauper’s access to court
• Environmental justice
• Civil Rights violation

Who do I contact in Texas for Free Legal Assistance?

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas serves the western, central and northwest part of the state, including Dallas, Abilene, Lubbock, Fort Worth, and more. Contact them at 888-529-5277.

Lonestar Legal Aid provide free legal advice and services to the eastern and Gulf Coast regions (southeast) parts of Texas, including Houston and Galveston Texas. Contact them 800-733-8394 for more information or to apply.

The group that aids residents of residents of Southwest and Southern Texas is RioGrande Legal Aid. They are another nonprofit organization that provides free legal services and can be reached at 1-888-988-9996.