Struggling with credit card bills? Behind on medical payments? Overwhelmed by debt? 
What is a legal self-help center
Legal self-help centers do not provide legal advice or help in filling out court forms. A legal self-help center is a place where the public can learn about the law, their legal rights, and how to go to court. If someone has a legal issue, they can go to a legal self-help center in their community to use a computer for free, search online for answers to legal questions, find and prepare court forms, and get other help depending on their location.
At many legal self-help centers, staff can help patrons find free legal information on IllinoisLegalAid.org, including the following:
- Court forms,
- Articles about their legal issue,
- Step-by-step instructions for filing cases and going to court, and
- Referrals to free and low-cost legal services.
Self-help centers near you
Located in county courthouses and public libraries across the state, Illinois Legal AId Online supports in-person and online legal self-help centers across Illinois. An ILAO legal self-help center is a place where you can learn about the law, your legal rights, and how to go to court. If you have a legal issue, you can go to a legal self-help center in your community to:
- use a computer for free,
- search online for answers to your legal questions,
- find and prepare court forms, and
- get other help depending on your location.
I work for a legal self-help center. What kind of support can ILAO provide?
ILAO can offer training and materials (information cards and flyers). Visit our LSHC toolkit for available resources.
