Free Legal Help in Alabama — Civil Cases, Housing, Benefits, and Family Law
Alabama has a statewide nonprofit legal aid organization that covers all 67 counties, backed by five county-based volunteer lawyer programs. If you are low-income and facing eviction, a benefits cut, a family law problem, or an issue with a creditor, this page explains who to call and whether you qualify.
Legal Services Alabama — the main starting point
Legal Services Alabama (LSA) is the only nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal aid across every county in the state. It has operated since 2004, when three regional legal aid programs merged into one. Eight offices are distributed across the state — in Anniston/Gadsden, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, and Tuscaloosa — but all intake runs through a central line, not individual office walk-ins.
Who qualifies: Income must be at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Adults 60 and older qualify regardless of income under a separate Older Americans Act program — mention your age when you call.
How to apply: Call 1-866-456-4995, Monday through Friday during business hours. Spanish-speaking callers can use 1-888-835-3505. Online applications are accepted around the clock at https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/. LSA cannot take requests by email. Website: https://legalservicesalabama.org/
What they handle: Eviction and other housing disputes. Foreclosure prevention. Domestic violence cases including custody and safety planning. Denial or termination of state benefits administered by the Alabama Department of Human Resources — including the Food Assistance Program (Alabama's name for SNAP food benefits), Temporary Cash Assistance (the state's TANF cash program), and Medicaid. Consumer debt problems such as predatory loans and wage garnishment. Tax disputes through a Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (see below).
What they do not handle: Criminal cases, child support enforcement, job discrimination claims, or lawsuits seeking money damages. If your case falls outside their scope, intake staff will point you toward other options.
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic - operated by Legal Services Alabama
LSA runs a free Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic for people with IRS disputes they cannot afford to resolve on their own. This covers unpaid tax debt and installment agreements, responses to IRS notices, earned income credit problems, tax liens, audits, and tax court representation. The clinic also serves people who are not fluent in English. Contact the main LSA intake line to be connected.
Alabama benefits and the Department of Human Resources
If you have been denied or cut off from a state benefit, free legal help is available to appeal. Alabama runs its main public benefit programs through the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR). The Food Assistance Program provides monthly grocery benefits (delivered by SNAP EBT card). Temporary Cash Assistance provides short-term cash for low-income families with children — Alabama limits this to 60 months over a lifetime, and work requirements begin after 24 months. Medicaid in Alabama is administered separately through the Alabama Medicaid Agency, not DHR.
Legal Services Alabama can help if you have been denied any of these benefits or received notice that your case is being cut. Getting legal advice before a DHR appeal deadline passes is important — those windows are short and missing them typically means starting over.
Eviction in Alabama — the notice timeline matters
Alabama landlords must give a written 7-day notice before they can file an eviction case in court. For unpaid rent, that is a 7-business-day notice to pay or leave. For a lease violation, it is a 7-business-day notice to fix the problem or vacate. Alabama does not require landlords to offer a grace period, so the clock can start the day after rent was due.
Once the 7 days pass without resolution, the landlord can file in court. A landlord cannot legally remove a tenant by changing locks or shutting off utilities — only a sheriff can carry out a physical removal after a court order. If you receive a written notice, contact Legal Services Alabama as soon as possible. Seven business days is not much time, and the courts in Alabama can move quickly after the filing.
Utility shutoffs in Alabama
Electric and gas utilities regulated by the Alabama Public Service Commission must send written notice at least five calendar days before disconnecting service for nonpayment. Disconnection cannot happen on a day the utility's business office is closed, or on the day before such a day. Alabama also prohibits disconnection of gas or electric service when the forecast temperature is at or below 32°F on the day of the planned shutoff.
One important limitation: the Alabama PSC only regulates Alabama Power Company. Electric cooperatives and municipal utility systems — which serve large portions of rural Alabama — operate under their own boards and are not subject to state commission oversight. Their disconnection policies vary. If you are served by a cooperative or city utility and facing shutoff, contact that utility directly about its notice and payment plan policies.
Legal Services Alabama can provide advice if you believe a shutoff was carried out illegally or if a landlord is threatening to shut off utilities as a form of pressure to leave.
Pro bono volunteer lawyer programs
Beyond LSA, Alabama has volunteer lawyer programs that match income-eligible residents with private attorneys donating their time. These programs operate at the county level — who you contact depends on where you live.
Jefferson County (Birmingham area): Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham handles civil legal matters for income-eligible Jefferson County residents. Phone: (205) 250-5198. Website: https://www.vlbham.org/
Madison County: The Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program serves Huntsville-area residents. Phone: (256) 539-2275. Website: https://vlpmadisoncounty.org/
Montgomery County: The Montgomery Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Program covers Montgomery County. Phone: (334) 265-0222. Website: http://montgomeryvlp.org/
Mobile, Baldwin, Clarke, and Washington counties: The South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program covers the southwest corner of the state. Phone: (251) 438-1102 or (855) 997-2857. Website: https://www.savlp.org/
All other Alabama counties: The Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program handles pro bono referrals for counties not covered by any of the above. Phone: (888) 857-8571. The State Bar program also runs the Alabama Bankruptcy Assistance Program, which provides free help for Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings.
Self-help legal resources
AlabamaLegalHelp.org (website: https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/ ) is the state's free online portal for civil legal self-help — plain-English guides, forms, and information on housing, family law, benefits, and consumer issues, maintained by LSA. The American Bar Association also runs a free online question service at abafreelegalanswers.org where income-eligible Alabama residents can submit a civil legal question and receive a written response from a licensed Alabama attorney. Neither is a substitute for representation, but both can help you understand your situation before calling an intake line.
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