Am I Eligible For Legal Aid?
Legal Aid Chicago does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in the delivery of services or operations.
Financial Eligibility:
- Persons with limited assets and income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level are financially eligible for services.
- We have higher income limits for homeowners at risk of foreclosure, seniors, veterans, people living with HIV, survivors of domestic or sexual violence with legal issues relating to their victimization, and victims of human trafficking.
Other Eligibility:
Because we are funded by the Legal Services Corporation, our clients must also fit one of the following categories:
- U.S. citizen
- Lawful Permanent Resident
- A victim of human trafficking, domestic violence, sexual assault, or other crimes which are included in the U visa laws
- Asylee or refugee
- A person who has been granted Withholding of Removal
- An Adjustment of Status applicant who also has a U.S. citizen spouse, parent, or child (under 21)
We can provide limited services for:
- H2A (agriculture) or H2B (forestry) workers
- Lawful temporary residents
Service Area:
- Chicago and Suburban Cook County
- Statewide in Illinois for Migrant Agricultural and Landscape Workers
- Statewide in Illinois for victims of human trafficking
- Lake County Illinois for long term care residents
Legal Aid Chicago DOES NOT handle the following types of matters:
- Criminal cases (but we do handle expungement and sealing of records)
- Personal injury
- Malpractice
- Workers’ Compensation
- Traffic violations
- Probate (wills/estates) (but we do Powers of Attorney and Transfer on Death Instruments for Property)
- Private pension cases
- Representation of landlords in eviction cases
- Small claims cases
Legal Aid Chicago also partners with volunteer attorneys and community organizations to offer free legal clinics and help desks. Please see our list of Legal Clinics and Help Desks.
Are you an adult aged 60 and older living in Suburban Cook County that may have a legal issue? Click here to access the Elder Risk Detector tool.