175 organizations
How free legal help works in Atlanta
Civil legal aid is free if your income qualifies — and for eviction, family safety, benefits, and consumer problems, it changes outcomes. Atlanta Legal Aid serves Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton counties; Georgia Legal Services covers the rest of the state. The Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation focuses on housing court and safety cases. For cleaning up an old criminal record, the Georgia Justice Project is the place to start.
Two honest warnings: legal aid offices are stretched — call the moment a problem starts, not the day before court. And never pay a "notario" for immigration advice; only attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives can help legally.
What to expect when you call: an intake interview about your income and your case. Have your paperwork (court dates, lease, letters) in front of you. If they can't take your case, ask for a referral — they always know who else to try.
West Georgia Domestic Violence Shelter is a nonprofit that helps people and their children escape abuse in five rural counties west of Atlanta (Carroll, Heard, Haralson, Coweta, and Meriwether). They run a safe emergency shelter with meals, clothing, and case management, plus a 24-hour crisis line, support groups, help getting protective orders, classes, and some transitional housing and financial help.
9 services
The Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence (now becoming In Safe Company) helps people in metro Atlanta who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. They run two free, 24-hour hotlines, a confidential emergency safe house for survivors and their children, support groups, legal help with protective orders, and programs for kids. All services are free and confidential.
13 services
The Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia was a nonprofit that fought for the legal rights of people with disabilities through education, case help, mediation, and lawsuits. It was founded in 1999 after the Olmstead Supreme Court ruling, but the organization dissolved in 2012 and no longer operates. Its records are now archived at the University of Georgia.
1 service
