Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →What is almost always free, and what genuinely is not
Legal aid intake, 211 referrals, state attorney general and CFPB complaints, and court fee waivers cost nothing and can be requested by anyone who qualifies — and fee-waiver rules are set per court, so the request is part of the filing rather than a favour. A paid service can be the right answer when the deadline is close or the amount at stake is large, but that decision should be made against the free route's actual terms, not its reputation.
Documenting the free route's refusal or wait time is itself useful: it is how unmet legal need is measured, and it is what a pro bono programme or a legislator's office can act on.
The protocol
- Write the problem's stakes: the amount at risk, the deadline, and what happens if nothing is done.
- List the free routes with their real terms — intake hours, wait time, eligibility, what they will and will not do.
- List the paid options with their real cost: consultation fee, retainer or subscription, and what is included.
- Compute each route's cost against the amount at stake, and mark the deadline for each.
- Choose, and keep the worksheet: it records why the decision was made, including any free route that could not take the case in time.
What the tool does
Price recourse honestly: the free routes with their real terms next to the paid options and the amount at stake. It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a planning and referral aid, not legal or financial advice. It cannot enrol you in a programme, connect a service, or guarantee that free help is available where you live.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Rule status (mixed route): in force: LSC-funded civil legal aid serves households at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines ($19,562/year for a single person in 2026) and court fee waivers are set by each court. FY2026 funding for LSC was reduced by roughly 3.6%, and local programmes in several states lost additional funding, so wait times vary.
Automated decision this documents: eligibility and capacity rules that decide who receives free representation
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Legal aid intake through lawhelp.org (LSC-funded programmes serve 125% of the federal poverty guidelines)
- Court fee-waiver (in forma pauperis) request — ask the clerk for the form with the filing
- 211 — local navigation and referral (211.org); CFPB complaint route for consumer matters
What this cannot do: It cannot enrol you in a programme, connect a service, or guarantee that free help is available where you live.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Request the fee waiver and the free intake first — through the court, lawhelp.org, or 211 — and keep the worksheet showing what each route said and when, so a paid decision is made on the record.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is access-and-digital-affordability; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.