How to Get a Lawyer When You Have No Money

With no money for a lawyer, your first step depends on the case. If you're charged with a crime, ask for a public defender. For a civil problem, apply to your local legal aid office, then try a bar volunteer program, a law school clinic or ABA Free Legal Answers. Many injury lawyers take no fee unless they win.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by state and situation, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For advice about your case, talk to a licensed attorney.

Key takeaways

• Legal aid offices funded by the Legal Services Corporation generally serve households with income at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines: $34,150 a year for a family of three in 2026.
• Those offices may accept some people up to 200% of the guidelines ($54,640 for a family of three in 2026) for benefit cases or heavy expenses.
• A court can't jail you for any offense, even a petty one, unless you had a lawyer at trial or knowingly gave up that right.
• ABA Free Legal Answers lets qualifying people in 40 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands post civil questions online for volunteer lawyers to answer at no cost.
• Ethics rules such as Washington's RPC 1.5 bar contingency fees for criminal defense and for fees that depend on getting a divorce or on the amount of support.

Start with legal aid for civil problems

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), which Congress created in 1974, is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country. It funds 129 independent nonprofit legal aid organizations covering every state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, and those organizations give free legal help to low-income people. Their work includes custody, child support and protection from domestic violence, eviction and foreclosure, veterans' benefits, and benefits such as Medicare and Social Security. To find the office for your area, enter your address in LSC's Find Legal Aid tool.

If you're not sure what kind of problem you have, our guide What Kind of Lawyer Do I Need? sorts common situations by practice area.

The 2026 income limits

Under 45 CFR 1611.3, each LSC-funded office sets its own income ceiling, which can't be higher than 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. LSC republishes the figures every year. These are the 2026 numbers for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.:

Household size	Standard limit (125%)	Exception limit (200%)
1	$19,950	$31,920
2	$27,050	$43,280
3	$34,150	$54,640
4	$41,250	$66,000
Each additional person	add $7,100	add $11,360

Alaska and Hawaii run higher: a single person's standard limit is $24,938 in Alaska and $22,950 in Hawaii. Each office also sets an asset limit, and it may leave out your home, the car you rely on and the tools you need for work.

Don't stop at the 125% column. Under 45 CFR 1611.5, an office can accept you above the standard limit, up to 200%, if you're trying to get government benefits for low-income people or people with disabilities. It can also do so after weighing what eats into your income: unreimbursed medical bills, fixed debts, child care or transportation you need to keep working, costs tied to age or disability, and current taxes. If you're fighting to keep low-income government benefits you already get, the 200% cap doesn't apply, though the asset limit still does.

A quick example: a single parent of two earning $38,000 a year is over the $34,150 standard limit for a household of three, but under $54,640. If that parent pays for child care to keep a job or has large medical bills, the office can still find the family eligible. Mention those costs when you apply.

An office can also help people over the limits when the work is paid for entirely with non-LSC money (45 CFR 1611.4(a)), so ask even if your income looks too high.

Apply as soon as you receive court papers, and keep looking for other help while you wait to hear back.

If you're charged with a crime, ask for a public defender

Criminal cases work differently, because the Constitution protects your right to a lawyer. In Argersinger v. Hamlin (1972), the U.S. Supreme Court built on Gideon v. Wainwright and held that no one may be jailed for any offense, felony, misdemeanor or petty, unless they had a lawyer at trial or knowingly and intelligently waived one. If you can't pay, ask the court to appoint one, such as a public defender.

Ask at your first court appearance, or call the clerk or the public defender's office before then. Each state sets its own test for who can't afford a lawyer. Two examples:

State	Who qualifies	What it costs you
Florida (Fla. Stat. 27.52)	Income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or receiving TANF cash assistance, poverty-related veterans' benefits or SSI. Property with $2,500 or more in net equity, not counting your homestead and one vehicle worth up to $5,000, creates a presumption that you don't qualify.	A $50 application fee, due within 7 days. You can't be refused a lawyer for not paying, but an unpaid fee can be added to your sentence or probation.
Washington (RCW 10.101.010)	Receiving benefits such as TANF, food stamps, Medicaid or SSI; after-tax income at or below 125% of the federal poverty level; or no money to pay anything toward a lawyer.	Someone who can cover part of the cost is classed as "indigent and able to contribute."

In Florida you apply to the clerk of court, who must help you complete the form if you ask. If the clerk says you don't qualify, you can ask the court to review that decision. Other states use their own forms and cutoffs, so ask the clerk in your county how it works there.

## Free help from volunteers, clinics and online answers

If legal aid can't take your case, or you're just over its limits, try these next.

Many city and county bar associations run pro bono programs that match low-income clients with private lawyers who donate their time. Call your local bar and ask whether it has one and how to apply.

If a law school is within reach, ask about its clinics. Many schools run free clinics where students take on real cases for people in the community. Each clinic picks its own practice areas, so call and ask which ones are taking new clients.

ABA Free Legal Answers works entirely online. You answer a few questions to see whether you qualify, then post a specific question about a civil problem. Volunteer lawyers licensed in your state answer at no cost; you get an email when your question has a response, and you can log back in to read it and ask follow-up questions. Topics include family, housing, consumer, employment, and health and disability problems. Forty states and the U.S. Virgin Islands take part, plus a federal site for immigration and federal veterans' questions. As of November 2026, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio and Washington are among the states not listed. Answers come in writing, so if a hearing is close, contact legal aid too.

Lawyers who get paid only if you win

With a contingency fee, the lawyer's pay is a share of the money they recover for you, and no recovery means no fee. Many personal injury lawyers work this way, which is how someone with no savings can still bring a strong injury claim. Our guide on how personal injury lawyers get paid walks through the math.

Each state's ethics rules govern these agreements. Under Washington's RPC 1.5, for example, the agreement must:

• be in writing and signed by you;
• state the lawyer's percentage at settlement, at trial and on appeal;
• say which expenses come out of the recovery, and whether before or after the lawyer's percentage is figured;
• tell you plainly which expenses you'll owe whether or not you win.

That last point is where "no fee" and "no cost" part ways. Filing fees, expert witnesses and medical records cost money even when the fee depends on winning. Ask who pays them if you lose, and get the answer in writing. When the case ends, the lawyer must also give you a written statement showing the result and how your share was figured.

The same rule bans contingency fees for defending a criminal case, and in divorce cases when the fee depends on getting the divorce or annulment or on the amount of support (or a property settlement in place of support). For those cases, look to legal aid, a public defender or the low-cost options below. Your state's version of the rule may differ in the details, so read your agreement closely.

## Low-cost help when you earn too much for free services

Plenty of people earn too much for legal aid and too little for a retainer.

Many state and local bar associations run lawyer referral services that set you up with a first consultation. Ask what that consultation costs before you book it.

Limited-scope help, sometimes called unbundled services, means paying a lawyer for one piece of the work instead of the whole case: reviewing a settlement offer, drafting your answer to a lawsuit, or coaching you before a hearing you'll handle yourself. Ask any lawyer you call whether they do this and what one task would cost.

If what you can't afford is the court's filing fee rather than a lawyer, ask the clerk about a fee waiver. Your state court's self-help website should list the current filing fee and the waiver form.

When you're ready to pay someone, even a little, our guide to choosing a lawyer covers how to compare fees and experience before you sign anything.

When to talk to a lawyer

Get help right away if:

• you've been served with court papers, such as an eviction, a lawsuit or a custody filing, since the time to respond is short (check the papers for the deadline);
• you've been arrested or have a criminal court date;
• someone is threatening your safety, your housing or your children;
• a benefits denial letter gives you a deadline to appeal.

Our Legal Aid Eligibility Checker gives a quick estimate of whether you may qualify for free or low-cost help; the legal aid office makes the final call. If you can pay something, find a general practice lawyer near you in our directory and ask about payment plans, limited-scope work or a free first consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a free lawyer for a civil case?

Often, if your income is low. Legal aid offices funded by the Legal Services Corporation give free help with civil problems such as eviction, custody and benefits. Their standard 2026 limit for a family of three is $34,150 a year in the 48 contiguous states and D.C., and exceptions reach $54,640. If legal aid can't help, try a bar volunteer program, a law school clinic or ABA Free Legal Answers.

How do I get a public defender?

Ask the judge at your first court appearance, or contact the clerk or public defender's office before then. Expect questions about your income and assets; each state sets its own test. Florida, for example, uses 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and charges a $50 application fee, but can't refuse you a lawyer for not paying it. Washington's tests include after-tax income at or below 125% of the poverty level.

What income qualifies for legal aid in 2026?

For offices funded by the Legal Services Corporation, the standard 2026 limit is 125% of the federal poverty guidelines: $19,950 for one person and $41,250 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. An office can go up to 200% ($31,920 for one person, $66,000 for four) for benefit cases or heavy expenses. Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures, and every office also sets an asset limit.

Do I owe anything if my contingency fee lawyer loses?

Usually you owe no fee, since the fee is a share of money recovered for you. Expenses are a separate question. Filing fees, expert witnesses and records cost money, and Washington's RPC 1.5, for example, requires the written agreement to say which expenses you owe whether you win or lose. Read that part closely and ask the lawyer to explain it before you sign.

Can legal aid help me if I'm leaving an abusive partner?

Yes, and the income test makes that easier. Under 45 CFR 1611.3(e), when you're a domestic violence victim, an LSC-funded office can't count the abuser's income or assets, or anything you own jointly with the abuser. It looks only at you and the other members of your household. Tell the intake worker about the abuse so the office applies that rule.