Find legal help when you can't afford an attorney
Free and lower-cost ways to get legal help in Maricopa County. We've also gathered other resources that might help.
These are public resources we've gathered for you. We're not a law firm and this isn't legal advice. We just want you pointed somewhere useful. Details can change, so it's worth confirming with each organization before you go.
What most people need to know:
- If you can't afford a lawyer and you're facing a civil issue, Community Legal Services (602-258-3434) is the first call. They handle family law, housing, employment, and benefits for households at or below 125% of the federal poverty level.
- If you're charged with a crime and can't afford a lawyer, you don't apply anywhere. Tell the judge at your first court date. The court appoints one for you. See criminal defense.
- If your income is a little too high for free legal aid, the Arizona Modest Means Project offers a one-hour consult for $75 flat with a vetted Arizona attorney. Covers 15 practice areas. See statewide programs.
- If you're facing eviction, domestic violence, or a housing or utility crisis, call 211 (or 1-877-211-8661) or the National DV Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. See other help.
- Court filing fees can often be waived if money is tight. Ask the court clerk about a fee deferral or waiver.
Where should I start on this page?
Two ways to use this page.
Pick your topic from the menu: family, estate planning, business, employment, or criminal defense.
If that's the kind of help you need, start here.
What kinds of free legal help exist in Arizona?
In Arizona, free and lower-cost legal help comes in four forms. Which one you qualify for depends on your household income, the kind of case you have, and whether the matter is civil or criminal.
Free legal aid (income-qualified):
Nonprofit lawyers who help for free if your household income is at or below about 125% of the federal poverty level. Covers civil problems like family law, housing, and benefits. Not criminal.
Pro bono and clinics (volunteer / law school):
Volunteer attorneys and supervised law-student clinics give free advice or representation. Often limited by capacity or the school semester.
Low-cost (reduced fee):
The Arizona Modest Means Project connects you with a lawyer at $75 for a one-hour consultation if you earn up to about 250% of the poverty level. The Maricopa County Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30-minute consult for a one-time $50 fee. See statewide programs for more.
Do it yourself (court self-help):
The courts provide free official forms, guided online tools, and law librarians who help you find what you need. They can't give legal advice.
Criminal charges (appointed counsel):
Different rules. If you're charged with a crime and can't afford a lawyer, the court appoints one for you. You don't apply anywhere. You ask the judge. See criminal defense.
Not sure where to start or if you qualify? Call anyway. Limits depend on income, household size, and case type, and some programs go higher than you'd think. Two front doors: the statewide help line at 866-637-5341 (AZLawHelp.org), and Community Legal Services at 602-258-3434. Court filing fees can often be waived if money is tight.
What statewide programs does the State Bar of Arizona offer?
The State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Bar Foundation run two low-cost and free programs that work statewide, not just in Maricopa County. Both are cross-cutting, meaning they cover multiple practice areas. If you're not sure your problem fits one of the sections below, start here.
What is the Arizona Modest Means Project?
The Arizona Modest Means Project is a joint program of the State Bar of Arizona and the Arizona Bar Foundation that offers a one-hour consultation with a vetted attorney for a $75 flat fee.
Arizona Modest Means Project
Low · reduced feeA one-hour consultation with a vetted Arizona attorney for a $75 flat fee. Apply through the Bar Foundation and get matched with a participating lawyer. Attorneys can continue at the same $75/hour rate if you want to keep working with them.
Who qualifies: generally households at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. Eligibility is confirmed during the application.
Practice areas covered: Adult Guardianship, Bankruptcy, Consumer Law, Consumer Law Appeals, Criminal Misdemeanors, Employment Law, Family Law, Family Law Appeals, Guardianship, Housing: Foreclosure, Housing: Landlord/Tenant, Immigration, Juvenile Guardianship, Mediation, Wills & Trusts.
Contact: apply online at AZLawHelp.org or call 866-637-5341.
The $75 is not free, it's discounted. Every participating attorney is in good standing with the State Bar, has completed the required Foundations of Ethics / Modest Means CLE, and carries malpractice insurance. This is different from calling a random lawyer. If your issue is family law or an employment claim, this program often reaches lawyers who also take referrals for family law or employment law directly.
Military Legal Assistance Project
Free · military and veteransA free one-hour consultation for active military and veterans. If the attorney chooses to continue working with you beyond that hour, they do so pro bono (no fee).
Who qualifies: active military or veterans with household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
Contact: apply at AZLawHelp.org or call 866-637-5341 (the same automated line routes military applicants to this program). Related resources at lawforveterans.org.
This is a joint program of the State Bar, the Bar Foundation, and the Arizona Supreme Court. Participating attorneys have completed the same vetting as Modest Means attorneys (State Bar good standing, required CLE, malpractice insurance).
Free legal clinics through the State Bar
Free · periodicThroughout the year, the State Bar hosts free legal clinics, both in-person and virtual, where volunteer attorneys answer questions and give brief advice. Clinics happen around Law Day, in partnership with specific cities, and often focus on a single topic like family law or consumer law.
Where to find upcoming clinics: azbar.org (search "Arizona Attorneys Respond" or "legal clinic")
These are one-time interactions, not ongoing representation. Good for a quick question or to figure out whether you have a case worth pursuing.
01.
Where can I get free help with a divorce, custody, or a protective order in Maricopa County?
For divorce, custody, child support, and protective orders in Maricopa County, Community Legal Services (602-258-3434) handles the free legal aid track for income-qualified households, and the Family Lawyers Assistance Project (602-506-7948) offers free 30-minute consultations. This is the best-covered area of law in Maricopa County. Start with the free options below.
Community Legal Services
FreeFree help with divorce, custody, child support, and protective orders, with a focus on domestic violence and child safety.
Who qualifies: household income at or below ~125% of the poverty level. Civil cases only.
Contact: 602-258-3434 (toll-free 800-852-9075), Mon-Fri 9am-2pm. No walk-ins. Start an application anytime at AZLawHelp.org, but you must call during intake hours to complete it. · clsaz.org
Meeting the income limit doesn't guarantee a spot. They take cases as capacity allows.
Family Lawyers Assistance Project (FLAP)
FreeA free 30-minute phone consultation with a volunteer family-law attorney who reviews your forms and explains your next steps. Family law only.
Who qualifies: free if income-eligible. $40 if your income is above the limit.
Contact: by appointment. Call 602-506-7948 and leave a message.
Court self-help: divorce and custody forms
Self-helpFree official forms and step-by-step instructions for divorce, legal separation, paternity, child support, and parenting time, plus free workshops.
Where: Law Library Resource Center · superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc · also in Spanish
AZPOINT, protective orders
Self-helpAZPOINT is a free guided online tool from the Arizona courts that helps you fill out a petition for an Order of Protection or Injunction Against Harassment. Filing at an Arizona court is free.
Where: azpoint.azcourts.gov. After you get your confirmation number, call 602-506-7353 to schedule a remote hearing or bring your number to any Superior Court location for an in-person hearing.
A judge has to grant the order. Victim advocates can sit with you through it (see other help). Emergency after hours? Call 911. Any police officer can help with an after-hours Emergency Order of Protection.
If your household income is just above the free-aid threshold, statewide programs includes Family Law and Family Law Appeals in the Modest Means Project's covered areas.
02.
How do I get help with a will, probate, or guardianship if I can't afford a lawyer?
For wills, powers of attorney, probate, and guardianship in Maricopa County, free help is limited. Seniors (60 and older) have the most options through the Arizona Senior Citizens Law Project (602-252-6710) and the Area Agency on Aging (602-264-4357). Everyone else can start with a free 30-minute probate consultation through PLAP (602-732-2834) or use the courts' free official forms.
Most no-cost options cover probate questions, help for seniors, and free official forms. Full estate planning with trusts is harder to find for free. Here's what's realistic.
Probate Lawyers Assistance Project (PLAP)
FreeA free 30-minute consultation with a volunteer probate attorney on guardianship, conservatorship, and probate. They point you to the right forms and explain what to expect in court.
Contact: by appointment, 602-732-2834
Arizona Senior Citizens Law Project
Free · 60+Free civil legal help for Maricopa residents 60 and older, including wills, probate, and benefits.
Who qualifies: age 60+ and live in Maricopa County. No income limit. Priority goes to greatest need.
Contact: new requests 602-252-6710, Tuesdays 10am-1pm · 111 E. Taylor Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004 · asclp.org
Area Agency on Aging, Region One
Free · 60+Advice and advocacy for people 60+, including wills, estates, and advance directives.
Contact: 24-hour Senior HELP LINE 602-264-4357 · aaaphx.org
Free advance-directive and probate forms
Self-helpFree living-will and power-of-attorney forms from the Arizona Attorney General (azag.gov), and free probate, guardianship, and conservatorship forms from the court.
Where: azag.gov · superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc
If Modest Means fits your income, Wills & Trusts, Adult Guardianship, Juvenile Guardianship, and Guardianship are all covered practice areas. See statewide programs.
03.
Can I get free legal help starting or running a small business in Phoenix?
For forming a business, contracts, and small-business disputes in Maricopa County, the only truly free legal option is ASU's law clinics. SCORE and the Arizona SBDC offer free business advising (not legal advice), and you can file most business paperwork yourself through the Arizona Corporation Commission.
This is the hardest area to find free legal help. Everything below ASU's clinics is free business advising, useful but not legal advice.
ASU Entrepreneurship and Small Business Clinic
Free legalSupervised law students help early-stage businesses with choosing a business structure, contracts, intellectual property, and reviewing a commercial lease.
Who qualifies: early-stage ventures and small businesses without access to a lawyer. Capacity-limited.
Contact: apply via the online questionnaire at law.asu.edu
ASU Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic
Free legal · IPSupervised students help independent inventors and startups with patent and trademark searches and filings.
Contact: law.asu.edu (search "Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic")
Intellectual property only.
SCORE Greater Phoenix and Arizona SBDC
Not legal adviceFree, experienced business mentoring, advising, and workshops at any stage. Helpful for the business side of a problem, but they don't give legal advice.
Contact: SCORE Greater Phoenix · arizonasbdc.com
Register a business yourself
Self-helpAn LLC is a limited liability company, a business structure that shields your personal assets from business debts and lawsuits. You can file one online with the Arizona Corporation Commission's Arizona Business Center portal. Standard filing fee is $50 ($85 expedited). Same fee online or by paper. LLCs based in Maricopa or Pima County are exempt from the newspaper publication requirement (LLCs elsewhere must publish within 60 days of approval). Register a trade name with the Secretary of State for $10.
These are filing agencies, not legal advisors. They can't tell you which structure is right for you.
04.
What do I do about unpaid wages, being fired, or workplace discrimination in Arizona?
For unpaid wages, being fired, discrimination, and unemployment benefits in Maricopa County, Community Legal Services (602-258-3434) is the free legal aid track. The Industrial Commission of Arizona (602-542-4661) handles wage claims up to $12,000 for free. Discrimination claims have tight deadlines: usually 180 days for the state, 300 for the EEOC. Don't wait.
Community Legal Services
FreeFree help for low-wage workers with wage claims, job problems, and appealing a denied unemployment claim.
Who qualifies: household income at or below ~125% of the poverty level.
Contact: 602-258-3434
ASU Civil Litigation Clinic
Free legalSupervised law students take on cases including consumer disputes, tenant's rights (no evictions), employment discrimination, wage disputes, and DES unemployment-benefit appeals for Phoenix metro residents. No family law, criminal, or eviction cases.
Apply: online only at ASUCivilClinic.org (no phone intake)
Intake is limited and opens/closes by capacity. Apply early. Out of scope or out of area? Contact CLS at 602-258-3434.
Industrial Commission of Arizona, wage claims
GovernmentA wage claim is a formal complaint filed with a state agency to recover unpaid wages your employer owes you. You can file one for free with the Industrial Commission, and the state will investigate.
Contact: 602-542-4661 · azica.gov
ICA handles unpaid regular wages, bonuses, commissions, vacation/PTO, minimum wage, and earned paid sick time for W-2 employees, up to $12,000. ICA does NOT cover independent contractors, overtime-only claims, or amounts over $12,000. For overtime or larger claims, contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in Phoenix at 602-514-7100, or pursue a civil claim.
Discrimination: EEOC and AZ Civil Rights Division
GovernmentBoth agencies investigate job discrimination based on race, sex, disability, age (40+), religion, national origin, and more. The state division also offers mediation.
Contact: EEOC Phoenix 1-800-669-4000 · AG Civil Rights 1-877-491-5742
Tight deadlines. Usually 180 days to the state, 300 days to the EEOC, from when it happened. Don't wait.
If your income puts you just above the free-aid threshold, statewide programs covers Employment Law under the Modest Means Project.
05.
What happens if I'm charged with a crime in Maricopa County and can't afford a lawyer?
If you're charged with a crime in Maricopa County and can't afford a lawyer, you don't apply anywhere. You ask the judge at your first court date. The court decides whether you qualify and appoints a lawyer for you at no cost. Public defenders handle criminal cases only. For felonies, contact the Maricopa County Public Defender at 602-506-7711. For Phoenix municipal misdemeanors, the City of Phoenix Public Defender is at 602-262-1838.
What is court-appointed counsel?
Court-appointed counsel is a lawyer the court assigns to represent you at no cost if you can't afford to hire one. In Arizona, this right applies to criminal charges, not civil cases. You ask the judge at your initial appearance or arraignment.
Maricopa County Public Defender
Court-appointedRepresents people who can't afford a lawyer in criminal cases, once the court appoints them. If their office has a conflict or is full, the court appoints the Legal Defender, Legal Advocate, Public Advocate, or contract counsel instead.
How to get one: tell the judge at your initial appearance or arraignment that you can't afford an attorney.
Office: 602-506-7711
After you're appointed, it usually takes about 5-7 days for your attorney to be assigned and receive your file. You may meet your attorney sooner at a preliminary hearing or pretrial conference. If you don't hear from them within about a week, call 602-506-7711.
City of Phoenix Public Defender
Court-appointedRepresents people charged with certain misdemeanors in Phoenix Municipal Court when the judge appoints counsel.
Contact: 602-262-1838
City misdemeanors only. Not felonies or Superior Court cases.
How do I clear an old conviction from my record in Arizona?
Arizona has three ways to clear or limit an old record: a "set aside" (available for most convictions under A.R.S. § 13-905), record sealing (under A.R.S. § 13-911, available since December 31, 2022), and full expungement (limited to certain marijuana convictions under Prop 207). There's no court fee to file a set aside.
CLS Set-Aside and Rights Restoration Clinics
Free · when scheduledWhen scheduled, CLS runs free clinics to set aside a past conviction, restore your civil rights, or clear an eligible marijuana record under Prop 207. A set aside means the court dismisses the conviction and restores most civil rights, though the record still shows the case existed.
Contact: 602-258-3434. Check clsaz.org for upcoming Set Aside Clinic dates and downloadable forms. Dates may not currently be scheduled.
Register ahead. Spots are limited and first-come.
Marijuana record clearing and court forms
Self-helpazexpunge.org still has educational materials, resources, and downloadable Prop 207 petition forms, but direct legal-aid services through the site ended June 30, 2026. For court forms to set aside a conviction, seal records, or restore rights, use the Law Library Resource Center.
Where: azexpunge.org · superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/llrc
Arizona Justice Project
FreeReviews claims of innocence or serious injustice for people serving an Arizona sentence. For old cases, not current charges.
Contact: 602-496-0286 · azjusticeproject.org
They receive many requests, and review can take several months or longer.
If your charges are misdemeanors and your income is just above the free-aid threshold, statewide programs covers Criminal Misdemeanors under the Modest Means Project.
What if I need help with rent, safety, food, or a crisis?
Sometimes the real need is rent, safety, food, or someone to talk to. In Maricopa County, the fastest front doors are the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, 24/7) for safety or shelter, and 211 Arizona (dial 2-1-1 or 1-877-211-8661, live help 9am-7pm daily) for general resource navigation.
Start with one call: 211 Arizona
Dial 2-1-1 (or 1-877-211-8661) for a free, confidential connection to shelter, food, rent and utility help, and thousands of local services. Live help is 9am-7pm daily, and the online directory at 211arizona.org is available anytime.
Safety and domestic violence
You're not alone, and these are confidential. As of May 2026, Maricopa County no longer has a centralized 24/7 shelter referral hotline. The fastest paths are below.
- National DV Hotline (24/7): 1-800-799-7233. Best first call if you need to talk or find shelter.
- ArizonaSurvivors.org: Lists current shelter options and phone numbers. Call shelters directly to confirm availability. ACESDV Helpline: 602-279-2980 or 800-782-6400, Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm, Tue to 7pm.
- 211 Arizona: 1-877-211-8661.
Call shelters directly (Maricopa County):
- A New Leaf · Faith House (Glendale): 623-939-6798
- A New Leaf · CAAFA (Apache Junction): 480-773-2359 · service animals and ESAs only, no pets
- De Colores (South Phoenix): 602-269-1515 · pet-friendly · Spanish-language services
- New Life Center (Goodyear): 623-932-4404 · pet-friendly
- Sojourner Center (Central Phoenix): 602-244-0089 · pet-friendly · onsite childcare
- Chrysalis (North Phoenix): 602-944-4999 · service animals only
- My Sister's Place (Chandler): 480-821-1024 · service animals only
Call to confirm current capacity. Phoenix Family Advocacy Center: 602-534-2120.
Rent, eviction, and utilities
An eviction is a legal process a landlord uses to remove a tenant from a rental property. Once your landlord files, timelines move fast in Arizona (often five business days between the notice and the court hearing). If you're facing one, or you're behind on rent or utilities:
- Maricopa County (HSRUA2): Apply at maricopa.gov/5582 or contact your local Community Action Program (CAP) office. Questions: 602-506-0589. Covers up to one month of past-due rent for county residents outside Phoenix, Mesa, and Glendale, prioritized for households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
- City of Phoenix residents: Phoenix Human Services, or the Phoenix Eviction Legal Services Program at 602-262-7210.
- Free tenant/eviction legal help: CLS 602-258-3434 · azevictionhelp.org
Crisis and everyday help
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 (24/7)
- Veterans: lawforveterans.org · AZ Dept. of Veterans' Services
- Free tax preparation (VITA): ask 211
- Consumer fraud complaints: File online at azag.gov/complaints/consumer, or call the AG Consumer Information and Complaints Unit at 602-542-5763. The AG cannot give individual legal advice.
- Contractor complaints: AZ Registrar of Contractors, roc.az.gov
Resources compiled for Maricopa County, Arizona. This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Programs, fees, hours, and phone numbers change. Please confirm details directly with each organization before relying on them. Last reviewed July 2026.