LegalAdviceZone.com - Besides legal aid services, is there any other way that I can get a lawyer when I don't really have any money?

Besides legal aid services, is there any other way that I can get a lawyer when I don't really have any money?

I am in a very bad custody battle, and I am going to need possibly two lawyers. I really don't have the money for them. Beside legal aid services is there any services out there that I can use to either get a loan for a lawyer, or anything like that?

Public Comments

You can always take out a personal loan. Use a credit card. Another way is to call around to different law firms. Every law firm does so much "pro bono" work. This is their way of giving back to the community. Call their offices and see if any will take your case pro-bono. Any lawyer can bring on a second chair if necessary, to handle various aspects of a case.
Taking out a loan in order to pay for a lawyer is not a good idea. Use legal aid, or try to find a cheap lawyer. Actually, thinking about it, some lawyers will allow you to pay them a bit at a time, say £50 a week until you have paid them off.
Each state bar that I know of maintains a list of matters that they try and get attorneys to take on a pro bono basis. Call the state bar in your state (you can find them online or Google them) and ask if there's a pro bono list. It doesn't guarantee you an attorney will take the matter, but you never know. Another thing to try would be to go to a nearby law school (if you have one nearby) and see if they have a legal clinic that is open to the public. They perform services really cheap since the students are the ones doing all the work under the supervision of a licensed attorney. It gets the students valuable court time and provides you with representation at a fraction of what it might otherwise cost.
I second the advice to try to find a lawyer who will take it on pro bono, either through a pro bono referral service of the state bar or by asking lawyers directly. Many lawyers will let you make payments if you don't have the money to pay them up front. And the suggestion to try to find a law school clinic is a good one too.