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.
Two ways to use this page.
I know my legal issue
Pick your topic from the menu: family, estate planning, business, employment, or criminal defense.
Rent, safety, food, or a crisis
If that's the kind of help you need, start here.
How free legal help works
There are four kinds of help, from completely free to lower-cost. Which one you qualify for depends on your income, your case type, and whether the matter is 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, 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.
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.
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.
01.
Family law
Divorce, custody, child support, and protective orders. This is the best-covered area. Start with the free options.
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-helpA free guided online tool 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.
02.
Estate planning
Wills, powers of attorney, probate, and guardianship.
Heads up
Free help here is limited. Most no-cost options cover probate questions, help for seniors, and free official forms, not full estate planning with trusts. 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
03.
Business law
Forming a business, contracts, and small-business disputes.
Heads up
This is the hardest area to find free legal help. The only free legal option is ASU's law clinics. Everything below them 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: greaterphoenix.score.org · arizonasbdc.com
Register a business yourself
Self-helpFile an LLC 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.
Where: azcc.gov · azsos.gov
These are filing agencies, not legal advisors. They can't tell you which structure is right for you.
04.
Employment law
Unpaid wages, being fired, discrimination, and unemployment benefits.
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
GovernmentFile a claim for unpaid wages for free, 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 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.
05.
Criminal defense
If you're charged with a crime 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.
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.
Clearing an old record
CLS Set-Aside and Rights Restoration Clinics
FreeFree clinics to set aside a past conviction, restore your civil rights, or clear an eligible marijuana record under Prop 207. Arizona offers a "set aside" (not full expungement) for most convictions, and there's no court fee to file. True expungement applies only to certain marijuana convictions under Prop 207.
Contact: 602-258-3434, or check clsaz.org for upcoming free Set Aside Clinics and downloadable forms.
Register ahead. Spots are limited and first-come.
Marijuana record clearing and court forms
Self-helpFree help and an online tool for Prop 207 marijuana expungement (azexpunge.org), plus free court forms to set aside a conviction, seal records, or restore rights.
Where: azexpunge.org · superiorcourt.maricopa.gov
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 get hundreds of requests a year, so review can take a long time.
Other help
Sometimes the real need is rent, safety, food, or someone to talk to. These can help directly or connect you to the right place.
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. · 211arizona.org
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: Current shelter list and real-time bed 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 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
Facing eviction or 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 (phoenix.gov), 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: AZ Attorney General 602-542-5763 (Phoenix), 800-352-8431 (toll-free outside Phoenix/Tucson). File online at azag.gov/complaints/consumer. 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 June 2026.