LSC-funded civil legal aid

What this actually is

Free lawyers for civil problems — eviction, foreclosure, custody, child support, domestic violence protection, veterans benefits, employment, and access to benefits such as Medicare and Social Security. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal services in the United States and funds 129 independent non-profit legal aid organisations covering every state, DC and the territories. This is the single most valuable free thing available to someone facing eviction next week. It is CIVIL only — a criminal charge goes to a public defender instead, which is a different and separate right. Find your local office through the LSC locator.

Who qualifies, and what trips people up

Under 45 C.F.R. § 1611.3, every LSC recipient must set annual income ceilings that may not exceed 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, with limited authority to serve applicants up to 200% on specified factors — so being slightly over the line is worth a phone call rather than an assumption. Offices are overwhelmed and triage by urgency: say the words "I have an eviction hearing on [date]" at the start of the call, not the end.