Legal Help

HUD is the federal housing agency, and its Atlanta Field Office serves Georgia. HUD is not a direct shelter or rent-aid provider, but it helps people find housing resources, file housing discrimination complaints, contact housing counselors, and connect with public housing, voucher, FHA, disaster, and eviction resources.

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Georgia Innocence Project is a nonprofit law firm that helps people convicted in Georgia of serious crimes they say they did not commit. They review written requests, investigate strong innocence claims, provide free legal representation in some post-conviction cases, and support people after they are freed.

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Georgia Lawyers for the Arts is a nonprofit that helps artists, makers, musicians, writers, and arts organizations with their legal needs. They connect you with volunteer lawyers for help with things like copyright, trademarks, contracts, and setting up a nonprofit. You join as a member, and if your income is low enough you may get the legal help for free.

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The Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) is Georgia's federally mandated Protection and Advocacy agency for people with disabilities and people labeled with mental illness. They protect people's rights by investigating abuse and neglect, fighting disability discrimination, and helping people get accommodations, assistive technology, and the support they need to live in their community. Help is free, and you can ask for advocacy by calling or filling out a request form on their website.

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This is a federal CDC (National Center for Health Statistics) web page called "Where to Write for Vital Records." It is not a local Atlanta office and does not issue any records itself. Instead, it tells you the correct state or county office to contact to get a copy of a birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate, including addresses, fees, and how to apply.

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The Georgia Heirs Property Law Center is a nonprofit law firm that helps families who inherited land or a home without a clear legal owner. They clear tangled property titles, write wills and estate plans, and teach families how to protect and pass down their land so it stays in the family. Their help is for low- and moderate-income Georgia property owners.

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Raksha is an Atlanta nonprofit, started in 1995, that helps South Asian families who are dealing with domestic violence, sexual abuse, or family problems. They offer free, private help in many South Asian languages, including a confidential helpline, counseling, legal and immigration support, safety planning, and help finding housing, food, and other resources.

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The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the FBI's national website for reporting internet crimes like online scams, fraud, identity theft, and hacking. You file a report online for free, and the FBI uses it to investigate cybercrime and warn others. It is a national online service, not a local Atlanta office.

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The Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic at Georgia State University College of Law is a free legal clinic where supervised law students represent low-income people in disputes with the IRS over federal income or employment taxes. They help with things like IRS appeals, Tax Court cases, audits, and setting up payment plans or offers to settle tax debt. They do not prepare your tax return, and they handle federal (not state) tax problems for people across Georgia.

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This is the State of Georgia's Consumer Protection Division, now part of the Attorney General's Office of Law (it used to be called the Governor's Office of Consumer Protection/Consumer Affairs). They help protect people from scams, fraud, and unfair or dishonest business practices. You can call or file a free complaint if a business cheated you, and they offer free guides and a Lemon Law program for car problems.

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The Atlanta Bar Association's Lawyer Referral & Information Service connects people in metro Atlanta with a private lawyer who fits their legal problem. You call or fill out an online form, and trained staff match you with a pre-screened attorney; for many case types you pay a $45 fee for a 30-minute consultation. They also run a Modest Means Program with lower-cost lawyers for people who don't qualify for free legal aid but can't afford standard rates.

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We could not verify that an organization called "Westside Legal Aid" operates at this address or anywhere in metro Atlanta. The address on file (Joseph E. Lowery Blvd in the Vine City/English Avenue area) is associated with Westside Works, a jobs and workforce-training program, not a legal-aid office. Free eviction and civil legal help on Atlanta's Westside is actually provided by established organizations such as Atlanta Legal Aid Society, the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, and the Housing Court Assistance Center.

The State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project (Pro Bono Resource Center) is run by the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Legal Services Program. It connects volunteer lawyers with low-income Georgians who need free help with civil (non-criminal) legal problems, and it helps local bar groups build their own free-lawyer programs. If you need a free lawyer, they point you to GeorgiaLegalAid.org to find a program near you.

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The Housing Help Center is the City of Atlanta's official one-stop housing resource office. Staff (called navigators) help Atlanta residents find and keep safe, affordable housing by connecting them to rental and utility assistance, eviction prevention, legal aid, code enforcement help, emergency relocation, and homeownership programs. You can fill out an intake form online, call, or visit their downtown office near Five Points MARTA.

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The Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (now becoming "In Safe Company") helps people in DeKalb County who are facing domestic violence or sexual assault. They run a 24-hour crisis hotline, a confidential emergency safe house, counseling and support groups, legal help with protective orders, and programs for children and elders. All services are free and confidential, and the agency welcomes everyone, including LGBTQ+ survivors.

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Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV) is a long-running Atlanta nonprofit that helps people who are being hurt or threatened by a partner or family member. They run a free, 24-hour crisis line and offer safe emergency shelter, counseling, safety planning, legal advocacy, support groups, and help moving into stable housing. Call any time to talk to someone and get help making a plan to stay safe.

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Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) helps veterans who have a spinal cord injury or disease, MS, or ALS. Their service officers help veterans, dependents, and survivors file for VA benefits and appeal denied claims for free, and the chapter also offers job help, disability rights advocacy, and adaptive sports. The benefits office is located inside the Atlanta VA Regional Office in Decatur.

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