Virginia

Other places to find legal help and information:

Virginia's free legal information resources

VALegalAid.org – a website offering free and low cost civil legal information.

Another great resource is Virginia Judicial System Self-Help Website, a website providing neutral legal information as a public service in topical areas commonly sought by self-represented persons.

VA Law Help 2 Go  is a mobile-friendly platform that provides legal information in a video format to the public.  The videos cover common areas of family, consumer and housing law and are available in English and Spanish. (703) 293- 5544.

Legal aid programs in Virginia

They give free legal help. Mostly they help people whose income is low for a family of that size. Sometimes they help people no matter how much they make. This is mostly people who are abused or over age 60. They don’t take criminal cases, only cases that you yourself can’t go to jail for.

Need a free lawyer? Call one of these offices near you. Don’t know which office to call? Call 1-866-LEGLAID (1-866-534-5243) or go to VALegalAid.org or Legal Aid Office Service Area Map (PDF file) to find out.

If you need to hire an attorney, find a local one at:

  • Virginia Lawyer Referral Service - If you think you have a problem that may require the services of a lawyer, call the Virginia Lawyer Referral Service, (800) 552-7977. If you are referred to a lawyer, you will be entitled to consult with him or her for up to one-half hour for a fee of $35.

You may find legal help and information at these places:

Need help with food, clothing, shelter, medicine or other services?

  • 2-1-1 Virginia – a fast, free, convenient way to locate hundreds of community services in Virginia

USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) Awards and Public Benefits

For farmers and ranchers who applied for and received a one-time, lump-sum award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP):  This general information will help people who receive USDA DFAP awards understand the potential impact of such money on public benefits.

Other helpful agencies:

    • CAIR Coalition (Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights) provides legal assistance for detained immigrants – adults and children – in the D.C. metropolitan area as well as training and support for immigrant advocacy groups and service providers. (202) 331-3320
    • Community Tax Law Project (Provides free legal help to low wage families and individuals with tax issues) – (804) 358-5855
    • Fairfax Law Foundation (Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center) conducts direct intake for low income residents of Fairfax County only in contested family law matters and non-profit organizations in Northern Virginia needing legal assistance.
    • Good Samaritan Advocates (Faith-based legal aid organization providing no cost legal assistance to low-income individuals in the greater Washington, DC area) – (703) 534-5740, ext. 524 (Fairfax County) and (703) 404-5034 (Loudon County)
    • LINC (Provides legal, financial and community resources to individuals confronted with issues arising from the diagnosis and treatment of cancer) – (804) 562-0371, ext. 101
    • Virginia Bar Association (VBA) assists Virginia service-members who are getting ready to deploy or are returning from deployment, find an attorney who will assist them or their family with their legal services needs on a pro bono or reduced fee basis. (804) 644-0041
    • Whitman-Walker Health provides free legal services to its clients, people living with HIV/AIDS, and members of the LGBT community with public benefits, immigration, wills/powers of attorney/healthcare directives, and debt collection matters. (202) 939-7627
    • Hogar Immigrant Services Its mission is to welcome the stranger by offering immigration legal assistance at a reduced rate to those who could not afford it otherwise. Hogar also hosts Naturalization Workshops every month. At each workshop, members of the Hogar Legal team, as well as trained attorney and non-attorney volunteers, are on hand to assist eligible legal permanent residents (LPRs) in completing naturalization applications. (703) 534-9805 or (571) 208-1572
    • Just Neighbors provides immigration legal services to low income immigrants in the northern Virginia area. Clients must make 200% or less of federal poverty guidelines and must live in northern Virginia to qualify for services. Just Neighbors has a special emphasis on humanitarian-based immigration cases and does not take: removal/deportation cases, asylum cases, family-based petitions. Clients interested in our services can be screened by calling 703-979-1240 Tuesday - Friday 9 am - 5 pm.
    • Drive to Work assists qualifying low-income and previously incarcerated persons to restore driving privileges so they can drive to work and hold a job. Legal and other services are provided by attorneys.  Clients pay an administrative fee to cover part of the cost.  (804) 358-6727, (877) 358-6727 - Toll Free.
    • Hunton & Williams Church Hill Office (Richmond) provides pro bono services to financially limited persons.  For a modest fee, which the firm donates to charity, the Church Hill office offers legal services in family law, housing and real estate, and guardianships.  (804) 775-2248.
    • Hunton & Williams Charlottesville Office provides free legal services to low income Charlottesville area victims of domesetic violence and to immigrants seeking asylum from persecution in their country of origin. (434) 220-3111.
    • Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending (VAPERL) , Payday Loan & Inernet Loan Hotline provides advice and referrals to assist people with payday and internet loans - (866) 830-4501; Car Title Hotline provides advice and referrals to assist people with car title loans - (866) 830-4551

Active-Duty Military/Veterans Legal Assistance

ABA Home Front

www.abahomefront.org

ABA Home Front provides legal information, resources, and a directory of legal programs for veterans, service members, and military families. Programs listed include military legal assistance offices, legal aid and pro bono organizations, lawyer referral and information services, and military-specific programs where available.

ABA Military Pro Bono Project

www.militaryprobono.org

The ABA Military Pro Bono Project accepts case referrals from military attorneys on behalf of junior-enlisted, active-duty military personnel facing civil legal issues, and it works to place these cases with pro bono attorneys.