How Do I Apply For Legal Aid?
Online:
Legal Aid Chicago’s online application* is available 24/7. If your legal issue fits our priorities, you will be able to select an appointment time to speak with our intake staff to review your application in more detail and determine next steps, which may include legal representation, advice, or referrals.
If your legal issue does not fit our priorities or you do not meet our eligibility guidelines, the online system will provide you with other resources, information, and referrals to help you.
*This link will redirect you to Illinois Legal Aid Online’s website, which hosts Legal Aid Chicago’s Online Triage and Intake System.
By Phone:
Legal Aid Chicago’s Client Screening Unit can be reached at 312-341-1070. The intake line accepts calls weekdays beginning at 8 a.m. We take a limited number of calls each day so it’s best to call early. We offer a callback option to keep your place in the queue, so you do not have to wait on the phone. All calls are returned the same day.
We know it takes time to listen to our phone menu. Please be patient. Our phone menu is designed to get callers to the right place to get help as quickly as possible. Sometimes that means we will provide a referral to another resource because your legal issue is not one that Legal Aid Chicago handles.
When your call is answered or returned, our intake staff will ask you a series of questions to check your eligibility for services before providing you with assistance. If you have documents relating to your legal issue, please have them available to refer to during your call, and be ready to write down information we may give you.
The phone menu is in English and Spanish. We provide free telephone interpreters for all other languages. If you need an interpreter, do not select English or Spanish – just stay on the line. When we answer your call, tell us your name, telephone number, and the language you speak, and we will call you back with an interpreter.
Toll-Free Numbers:
- Ombudsman for residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in suburban Cook County and Lake County, Illinois: 888-401-8200
- Illinois migrant agricultural and landscape workers: 800-445-9025
- Illinois victims of human trafficking: 800-445-9025
- Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network: 855-452-3526
- Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline: 877-863-6338
Email:
We DO NOT accept requests for assistance by email or by signing up for our email list.