I need free legal help in Las Vegas
Clark County has real free legal help, but it comes through several different doors. A free lawyer for your whole case is the hardest to get. Forms help, classes, short talks with a lawyer and free mediation are much easier, and most of them you can start this week.
What to do first
1. Sort out what kind of case it is. Housing and eviction, small claims, lawsuits
over money, protection orders and probate go to the Civil Law Self-Help Center.
Divorce, custody, child support, paternity, annulment, guardianship, name changes and separate
maintenance go to the Family Law Self-Help Center. Neither one handles criminal or
traffic cases. For those, contact the justice court that has your ticket or case.
2. Walk in to the Self-Help Center with every paper you have. It costs nothing and it serves anyone with a civil case in Clark County no matter your
income, assets or citizenship. Staff will find the right form for you and check that you filled it
in completely.
3. Book a free Ask-A-Lawyer session. Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada runs short,
free phone consults with volunteer lawyers on tenant rights, small claims, probate, debt collection,
family law and more. Dates and sign-up links are at
lacsn.org/what-we-do/ask-a-lawyer.
Unlike Self-Help Center staff, a lawyer here can talk about your own situation.
4. If you need a lawyer for the whole case, apply now, not later. Call Legal Aid
Center at 702-386-1070. For divorce, paternity or custody, guardianship
and bankruptcy, the way in is a free class: you can apply for a volunteer lawyer at the end of it.
Matching takes 30 to 90 days, so keep meeting every deadline in your case yourself while you wait.
5. If you can pay a little, use the State Bar's Lawyer Referral Service. It matches
you with a private lawyer who handles your kind of problem. The first consult runs up to 30 minutes
and costs $45. Start at
nvbar.org.
Time limits that matter
| What | How long | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Asking the District Court for a language interpreter | At least 48 hours before your hearing or trial | EDCR 7.80 |
| Pro Bono Project matching you with a volunteer lawyer, once accepted | Usually 30 to 90 days. No emergency help | Legal Aid Center Pro Bono Project |
| Consumer Hotline calling you back | 3 to 5 business days | Legal Aid Center Consumer Hotline |
| A fee waiver you asked for when answering a lawsuit | Your deadline to answer is paused until the judge rules on it | NRS 12.015(5) |
None of these programs stop the clock in your case. Your court deadlines keep running while you wait for a class, a callback or a volunteer lawyer.
Forms and sign-ups
- Civil Law Self-Help Center forms, all approved for Clark County courts: civillawselfhelpcenter.org/forms
- Family Law Self-Help Center form packets: familylawselfhelpcenter.org
- Ask-A-Lawyer schedule and sign-up: lacsn.org/what-we-do/ask-a-lawyer
- Free class calendar, registration and class manuals: lacsn.org/what-we-do/free-classes
- Neighborhood Justice Center mediation intake: Neighborhood Justice Center page, brochure in English or Spanish
- Court fee waiver applications: see going to court without a lawyer
Where to go
| Place | Where and when | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Law Self-Help Center | Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, 1st floor. Monday to Thursday 7am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 4pm. Closed weekends and court holidays | Civil Law Self-Help Center |
| Family Law Self-Help Center | Family Court and Services Center, 601 N. Pecos Rd. Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. 702-455-1500 | Civil Law Self-Help Center |
| Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada | 725 E. Charleston Blvd. 702-386-1070 | Legal Aid Center |
| Neighborhood Justice Center (free mediation) | 200 E. Lewis Ave, 4th floor. Monday to Thursday 7am to 5:30pm, closed Fridays and holidays. 702-455-3898 | Las Vegas Justice Court, checked October 2026 |
| District Court interpreters | Regional Justice Center line 702-671-4578. Family Court line 702-455-1878 | Eighth Judicial District Court Language Access Plan |
| Clark County Law Library | 309 S. Third St, Suite 400 is closed to the public as of July 2, 2026, until further notice. Since October 26, 2026 its staff give in-person legal reference help Monday to Thursday at the West Las Vegas Library and the East Las Vegas Library. 702-455-4696 | Clark County Law Library, checked October 2026 |
Free help
Civil Law Self-Help Center — run by Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada under a
contract with Clark County. Staff explain court rules and procedure, help you pick the right form,
check it's complete, and point you to other help. They are not allowed to give legal advice: they
can't tell you whether to sue, recommend a lawyer, guess how a judge will rule, speak to a judge for
you, or tell you what to write or say. They must stay neutral, and nothing you tell them is
confidential or protected the way talks with your own lawyer are.
Family Law Self-Help Center — 601 N. Pecos Rd,
702-455-1500. Free family law forms, online or at the counter. Legal Aid
Center runs a Family Law Ask-A-Lawyer with it: a free 15-minute talk with a lawyer. See
getting a divorce in Nevada.
Free Ask-A-Lawyer — free phone consults with a volunteer lawyer from Legal Aid
Center on tenant rights, small claims, probate, debt collection, family law and other topics.
Sign up for a session at
lacsn.org.
Free classes — Legal Aid Center and Nevada Legal Services offer free classes, taught
with Boyd School of Law students, on small claims, eviction sealing, bankruptcy, criminal record
sealing, paternity, custody and divorce, guardianship, and getting ready for trial in Family Court.
Ask your questions at the end. Calendar and sign-up at
lacsn.org/what-we-do/free-classes.
Pro Bono Project — Legal Aid Center matches private lawyers who volunteer for free
with Clark County residents who meet its income guidelines. It covers adoption, appeals, bankruptcy,
representing abused or neglected children, civil and consumer fraud, divorce and custody, domestic
violence, gaming work card denials, uncontested guardianship, estates and trusts, immigration for
victims of domestic violence and other crimes, nonprofits, predatory lending and real estate fraud.
It does not take criminal, employment discrimination, personal injury or traffic cases. You'll
have an intake interview and must show proof of all household income and your case papers; a
committee then decides. The lawyer works free, but you still pay case costs that can't be waived.
Call 702-386-1070.
Consumer Hotline — payday loans, debt collectors, car purchases, repair contracts,
real estate scams and other everyday civil problems. Call Legal Aid Center at
702-386-1070, ext. 1717 in English or ext. 1730 in Spanish. An advocate
calls back within 3 to 5 business days.
Neighborhood Justice Center — Clark County's free, voluntary and confidential
mediation, set up by the Nevada Legislature in 1991. A trained neutral mediator helps you and the
other side work out your own written agreement. It handles landlord and tenant, neighbor, family,
parent and child, business and customer, employer and employee, and hospital and patient disputes.
It also runs victim offender mediation and a court mediation program.
702-455-3898.
Court interpreters — the Self-Help Center has a few Spanish-speaking staff, but
demand is heavy, so bring someone who speaks English if you can. It does not supply interpreters
for hearings or translate documents. For a District Court hearing, call the interpreter's office at
702-671-4578 at least 48 hours ahead (EDCR 7.80). For a justice court
case, bring an interpreter or call that same office before your court date. If the judge has
granted your fee waiver in a District Court civil case, available court interpreters may cost you
nothing (EDCR 7.80(a)). If you are deaf or have a speech impairment, the court must appoint an
interpreter (NRS 50.050). Disability accommodations:
OOD@clarkcountycourts.us.
Other free legal help — each has its own rules about income, age or type of case,
so check before you go:
Nevada Legal Services,
Southern Nevada Senior Law Program,
Nevada Disability Advocacy & Law Center,
Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers,
Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the
ACLU of Nevada.
Lawyer Referral Service, State Bar of Nevada — getting a referral is free. A
consultation of up to 30 minutes with the lawyer costs $45, and the fee for anything after that
is between you and the lawyer.
Request a referral.
Law libraries — for the Clark County Law Library, call
702-455-4696 before you go (see the table above). The College of Southern
Nevada West Charleston Campus Library, 6375 W. Charleston Blvd, has legal reference books, legal
forms and librarians the public can use free (reference desk
702-651-5729). The Wiener-Rogers Law Library at UNLV, 1455 E. Tropicana
Ave, is also open to the public. Librarians help you find things but can't give legal advice.
Good to know
Before you pay a lawyer, check whether one is already owed to you. Car, homeowner's or workers' comp insurance often hires and pays a lawyer to defend you, and a church, school or employer that's part of the lawsuit may have insurance that covers you too.
When you talk to a lawyer you might hire, ask how they charge: by the hour (often with a retainer that must sit in a trust account), a flat fee, or a contingency fee taken out of what you win. In Nevada a contingency agreement has to be in writing and signed by you. You can also hire a lawyer for only part of a case, like coaching or drafting one document, and handle the rest yourself.
You can fire your lawyer at any time. In a case already in court you may need the judge's permission to switch lawyers or go on alone (EDCR 7.40; JCRLV 30). If you dispute a bill of $250 or more, the State Bar runs a free fee dispute program.
Going to court on your own? Read I have to go to court without
a lawyer for fee waivers, filing, and what to do on the day.