Paralegal: Legal Self Help
Legal Self Help
Sometimes you really need a lawyer, but there is lots of free legal help you can find. Here are some resources for you.
Free on the web
Free legal articles and FAQ's from Nolo Press.
Bankruptcy:
- United States Bankruptcy Court: District of Oregon - Information for debtors, including tips on preparing and filing your documents, and what happens after you file.
- Oregon State Bar Association: Bankruptcy and Debt - Basic information about bankruptcy in Oregon. The Oregon State Bar Association also has free recorded information about bankruptcy, which can be accessed through their Tel-Law system at: 503.620.3000, or 1.800.452.4776.
- Legal Aid Services of Oregon: Bankruptcy Information - A plethora of informational materials about bankruptcy provided by Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO). LASO also holds a free bankruptcy clinic monthly, on Tuesday evenings, and their Multnomah County Office can be reached at: 503.224.4086, or 1.888.610.8764 for more information.
Criminal
- Metropolitan Public Defender - A nonprofit law firm which provides legal assistance to individuals with criminal matters. Also holds an expungement clinic periodically call for details). Has offices in Portland and Hillsboro.
Family
- St. Andrews Legal Clinic - Provides family law legal assistance on a sliding scale to residents of Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, and Columbia Counties in the areas of: child custody, child support, divorce, family abuse prevention, guardianship, paternity, spousal support, step-parent adoption, and visitation/parenting time.
Immigration
- Catholic Charities Center for Immigration Defense - "Catholic Charities is focused on expanding legal services, providing detained immigrants (who have no criminal history and risk being separated from their families) with legal counsel, and providing immigrants with information, knowledge, and legal planning support."
- Immigration Counseling Services - A non-profit immigration law firm providing education and legal assistance.
- In Oregon, from the Oregon Bar Association.
Oregon Law Center - Oregon Law Center (OLC) provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals to assure fairness on matters related to critical needs like food, shelter, medical care, income and physical safety.
Nolo Press
Available to all Oregonians, NOLO provides access to full-text legal reference publications written for consumers that allow individuals to learn about specific topics of law.
Some of the Legal Topics discussed include adoption, child custody, criminal law, divorce, estate planning, family law, property and real estate, and small claims court.
- Legal Information Reference Center This link opens in a new windowThis database provides online access to hundreds of NOLO legal reference books and various legal forms. Create a State of Oregon Law Library account to access.