Can’t afford a family law attorney? Free or low cost legal services are available.

Free or Low Cost Legal Services

There are many free or low cost nonprofit legal services available for indigent individuals in the Los Angeles area who need help with a divorce or other family law issues. Some may provide full representation until the end of your case, while others may only provide consultation or self-help services.

The following list list is not exhaustive and serves as a starting point for locating these services:

• Levitt Quinn Nonprofit Family Law Center
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles
• LawHelpCA.org

APABA Monthly Legal Clinic

The Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles holds a free monthly legal clinic every second Tuesday of each month (6:00 – 8:00 pm). The clinics are held at: Monterey Park Public Library, 318 S. Ramona Ave., Monterey Park, CA 91754.

Pasadena Bar Association Monthly Clinic

In conjunction with Public Council, the Pasadena Bar Association holds a free monthly legal clinic every second Saturday of each month (9:00 am – 12:00 pm). The clinics are held at: Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103.

Legal Document Assistants

You may see advertisements for inexpensive legal document preparation by legal document assistants (LDAs). LDAs provide, for compensation, self-help services to people representing themselves in a legal matter.

These individuals are not attorneys. As such, they cannot provide legal advice or represent you in court. They may file and serve documents, but only at that client’s specific direction.

The pitfall is that you are still your own attorney. A LDA cannot help you decide on a legal course of action or advise you on your legal rights. If they do, they run the risk of unauthorized practice of law, which can be subject to criminal penalties.

Be aware of the differences between engaging an attorney and a LDA.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to be legal advice.