Essential Phone Numbers for Legal Assistance in a Hurry
Legal Assistance by Telephone
Beyond the internet, legal aid services are also readily available by telephone. These are specialized numbers through which individuals can reach hotlines manned by trained volunteers and professional lawyers.
One of the most recognized numbers is for the American Bar Association’s Legal Services at 1-800-525-3664. It provides access to information on various legal aid options, local legal resources, court information, and vetted legal aid organizations that can help them.
They can also call local and state bar associations’ pro bono efforts. For example, the American Bar Association lists their contact numbers on their site and gives quick access to legal aid providers in each respective state.
The Public Service Commission of Maryland as well has a number for their legal assistance services that can be reached at 1-800-332-9121.
Citizens may also call the Legal Aid Society at 1-888-218-5291 that provides access to experienced lawyers across their 25 statewide offices. They can help individuals get legal information, representation, and advice for various types of legal matters.
Their services are free if they meet the income requirements that range from $15,000 to $22,000 or less annually, depending on the size of their family. Those who are above qualifying earners can still get help at a reduced fee.
Legal Aid offers an array of service centers , a toll-free hotline, and 24/7 live chat from their website to help connect individuals with information when they need it.
The hotline offers information, counsel, and consultations for free, while requirements differ from office to office. Individuals are generally seen who cannot afford lawyers, do not have pending cases in court, or have basic family law, housing, consumer and healthcare legal concerns.
The hotline is usually open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and requires an intake process that takes approximately 30 to 90 minutes. Afterward, a legal staffer may follow up with them.
In addition to the ABA and Legal Aid Society, the federal government also has free legal aid services for low-income families. Individuals in need can go to the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Access to Justice initiative that provides individuals in need with connections to state and local pro bono legal services.
Their online directory offers links to state-by-state pro bono initiatives and services. In addition, they also have resources for legal aid providers and the General Service Administration’s (GSA) lawyer locator.
The biggest advantage of these avenues for getting legal support is that they are less crippled by lack of resources, such as low funding, that often hamper in-office services offered by local legal aid providers.
Hotlines to Call for Free Legal Advice
Numerous free legal hotlines exist for a variety of legal issues. They provide an invaluable resource for people who often have nowhere else to turn. Callers can discuss consumer concerns, family law matters, landlord-tenant disputes, family allowances, and more. According to the American Bar Association, "In recent years, bar associations across the country have expanded their pro bono services by creating free hotlines for plaintiffs’ lawyers in key areas of civil law." Some of the ABA’s featured pro bono hotlines are:
• Georgia’s State Bar Lawyer’s Program for Impaired Lawyers – 1-800-327-9631 Georgia’s State Bar created the Pilot Lawyer’s Program for Impaired Lawyers to assist impaired attorneys with problems relating to alcohol and drugs. There are over 60 trained lawyer volunteers, located strategic locations throughout Georgia, who screen qualified, addicted attorneys and provide confidential peer support and monitoring, and assist in finding employment if necessary. • Alabama’s Alabama Lawyer’s Project Hotline – 1-866-456-4957 The Alabama Lawyer’s Project Hotline assists low-income Alabamians with Civil Legal Needs regarding education and school-related issues. The hotline has been inundated with calls since last summer, which may be an indication that poor economic conditions affect educational rights and access to quality schooling. The hotline advises on a number of issues related to education and schools, ranging from student disciplinary actions to student loans. • Established by the New York City Bar Association New York City Bar Association created the Consumer Issues Hotline in order to provide free legal information and brief services to individuals who have consumerrelated questions. By calling the hotline, callers can obtain valuable information and brief services in relation to debt collection, opinions about debt settlement companies, breakup of car purchases, student loans, and advice generally on dealing with creditors. • Established by Dedham Civil Liberties Group Dedham Civil Liberties Group offers a Legal Hotline for people with civil cases in Massachusetts. • Established by the Louisiana State Bar Association Louisiana’s Lawyer Conference Panel offers a free statewide information service regarding family law.
Phone Numbers for State Bar Associations
The State Bar Associations are another helpful tool in finding legal contact numbers. While they vary in the type of assistance they offer to the public, most have Lawyer Referral Services (in various formats) available.
Arizona
The State Bar of Arizona administers a Lawyer Referral Service that can help you select a qualified lawyer in your area. This service is free-of-charge to the public and you can access it by calling 1-800-443-5722 or by visiting the bar’s website.
California
The California Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service is a free service offered to the public. It offers telephone interviews and referrals to people seeking a lawyer. By making this resource available, the bar assists members of the public in getting a qualified lawyer quickly and efficiently. The lawyer referral service is easy to use, simply: call the bar’s referral office at 1-866-442-2529 and your request will be routed to a local referral service. Many of the State Bar’s referral services are also available on the internet.
Florida
The Florida Bar provides access to its Florida Lawyer Referral Service to help the public find a qualified attorney. There is a per-lawyer fee on a sliding scale, so the bar can connect the individual to the right individual. There are no additional fees for this service and no membership fees are required.
Georgia
The Georgia Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service assists members of the public in finding an attorney. The lawyer referral services provided by the bar help satisfy the requirements of Rule 1.2 (a), Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct. When you use the Georgia Bar’s LRIS, you are assured that your information will be kept confidential and the dates and times of the transmittal of your form will only be known by you and the LRIS staff. The LRIS will not share your information with anyone else except as may be required by law. The LRIS will try to match you with an attorney near where you live, with consideration given to the general nature of your legal issue.
Illinois
Through its Lawyer Referral Service, the Illinois State Bar Association will match you with a lawyer experienced in the particular area of the law relating to your case or situation. You’ll receive the name of a qualified lawyer who is interested in representing you, along with a written letter of introduction. There is no fee for the referral, although the lawyer may charge an initial retainer. A free phone consultation of up to 30 minutes is typically provided once you have hired the lawyer.
Massachusetts
The Lawyer Referral Service provided by the Massachusetts Bar Association is available statewide to help you find a qualified local attorney. Over 700 attorneys are included in the referral service database. The referral service representatives can help you with your general legal problems or can refer you to one of several other attorney services, such as the Law Firm Referral Service. Your problems can be matched by either the geographic location, the situation that you face, or by the specific type of law that you need assistance with.
24/7 Legal Assistance Hotlines
The law firms represented on this blog provide 24/7 legal help lines for emergency legal matters. Whether it be an emergency preventive measure such as a restraining order, or an urgent matter that requires immediate attention, you will need to contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Obviously, if you reach for the newspaper, and you have sat on hold for an hour only to get a service that directs you to voicemail even after hours, the consumer perception is not favorable. The majority of law firms involved in this networking group provide an emergency 24/7 hotline. This is to ensure that all urgent legal issues and emergency legal matters receive immediate attention .
A 24/7 emergency legal line can be a life-saver if someone suddenly gets arrested, suddenly finds themselves homeless, or is in immediate danger where a family member is being restrained by someone who is threatening serious bodily harm. In recent years such matters have become very fluid, and the police, in many circumstances, do not have the resources to handle a family emergency. Therefore, in the event your family is a part of an emergency, either a physical, financial, or psychological matter, it is important that you have the number of a law firm that answers its phone 24/7.
Hotlines for Various Legal Assistance
Another selection of useful numbers for individuals in need of legal advice or guidance might be found in specialized legal assistance hotlines that focus on particular areas such as immigration, domestic violence or veteran services. These hotlines stand as another critical resource within the legal system, providing guidance and legal advice.
Organizations such as the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild operate a national immigration information and referral center for attorneys and others seeking assistance in immigration matters. The National Domestic Violence Hotline serves victims in crisis while providing outreach to lawyers seeking to assist them. The American Bar Association offers a military hotline, providing general information about legal issues and local legal resources affecting service members and their families.
Advantages of Telephone-based Legal Assistance
Obtaining legal assistance by phone can be extremely beneficial in several ways. Individuals who have access to a phone can contact a lawyer from anywhere in a matter of minutes, as oppose to having to drive into the office. This can be especially important for people with disabilities or who live in rural locations – there are many states in which the majority of the population lives outside of metropolitan areas, and having to travel long distances to obtain legal help could be prohibitively expensive.
Meeting in person can definitely help to establish a rapport between a lawyer and a client, but it’s not always necessary . In fact, many people prefer to communicate via the phone as it allows them to process the information more thoroughly and ask better questions, without feeling pressure to immediately respond in a face to face meeting. Similarly, some people simply feel less intimidated communicating via phone than they do in person.
Obtaining immediate answers to questions is another common benefit that a phone call can provide. When individuals contact a lawyer, they are seeking answers to questions and need direction on how to proceed from there. Waiting days or weeks to see counsel might not be an option. Phone consultations allow individuals to speak to a lawyer or firm almost immediately.