Divorcing can cause a financial hardship for all involved. What do you do if you don't have any money or financial resources but desperately need legal help with your divorce?

There are local and state agencies; both private and government, providing free legal advice and representation to those who qualify. Although qualifications may vary state to state, even county to county and practice to practice, there are generally some basic guidelines used when determining whether or not you'll qualify for free legal help.

Those people who meet the following guidelines are often eligible for free legal aid:

• Income criteria (in most cases income must be less than 125% of federal poverty level although slightly higher income levels are usually accepted.)


• Elderly (generally considered age 60 and above.)


• Disabled


• Victims of domestic violence


• Military members


• Special circumstances (children who are being abused, in some states breast cancer victims, this is specific to each organization.)

Two Most Common Types of Free Legal Help

1. Legal Aid

Legal aid is found in most states and counties. This is a government or privately supported program. Staff attorneys represent clients with low or no income (or who meet other agency specific guidelines.)

Often in legal aid cases, wait time is long for a lawyer as the system is overburdened with legal aid requests. If you're in need of child custody case representation and there are extenuating circumstances, like the risk of flight by the other party with the children, the case can be expedited.

Most of the lawyers working for legal aid have extensive experience in cases such as divorce, child custody, and domestic violence. These are some of the common cases needing legal aid as often one of the partners is faced with financial hardships.

To find free or low-cost legal aid programs in your community, select your state in the drop down menu below. Contact the organizations or programs listed, including your state and local lawyer referral services.

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2. Pro Bono

Pro bono publico (usually simply referred to as pro bono) or 'for public good' refers to lawyers who handle cases free of charge. These free legal services are usually provided for clients unable to otherwise afford them, but most pro bono lawyers don’t use strict eligibility criteria and many may receive help even if they otherwise would not qualify for legal aid. The American Bar Association recommends that lawyers in the United States contribute 50 hours of pro bono work a year. The ABA contends that 40% of low and moderate income families experience at least one legal problem a year.

Although in the recent trying economy many funding efforts have been cut to legal aid there are still lawyers and organizations willing to help those in need.

If you need legal help and don't have the means to pay look into legal aid in your area or do a search our lawyer directory for those offering pro bono help. The search may take some work and involve time but if you're in serious need of free legal help it will be worth the effort.

If you're unable to find an agency or lawyer to assist you, consider alternative options to traditional court/lawyer divorces. There are books, classes, and online resources to help you get started and you can learn more about them in our article Divorce on a Shoestring Budget.

The Modern Woman's Divorce Guide has no relationship with the organizations; agencies or programs listed above and does not endorse their services. We provide these links for your information only.

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