Legal Advice Line
Get help through the Legal Advice Line, a free legal hotline available to qualified low-income residents living in the Bay Area. The Legal Advice Line provides counsel and advice in all languages on a range of civil legal issues. Attorneys may give a caller legal advice, schedule eligible clients for an appointment in a neighborhood office, or provide the caller with a helpful referral to other social services organizations, when appropriate.
The Legal Advice Line answers over 1,500 calls each month. LAL incoming call hours may close before the advertised time due to high demand. If you are calling for legal help, you may have to wait more than fifteen minutes for your call to be answered. Please be patient; our attorneys are working hard to try to answer all of the calls we receive. When the LAL is open you may request a call-back if you do not want to wait on hold for an attorney to become available to answer your call. Calls are answered and called back in the order they are received, so you will not lose your place in line if you choose the call-back option. We will call you back by the close of the same business day. Return calls come from a blocked number in the interest of client safety. Please keep this in mind and make sure that your phone accepts blocked calls. Because we may close early due to high call volume, it is best to call right when we open at 9:30A.M.
Please Note: Bay Area Legal Aid helps people with civil legal problems. We do not provide help with criminal matters. For help with a criminal matter, contact your local Public Defender’s office or bar association.
If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1.
LEGAL ADVICE LINE
For help with a legal problem involving Housing, Public Benefits, or Consumer Law, please call our Legal Advice Line for free legal advice and referrals in all languages.
Call Toll-Free:
1-800-551-5554
| Legal Advice Line Schedule: | |
|---|---|
| Monday: | 9:30 am – 3:00 pm or until capacity is reached |
| Tuesday: | 9:30 am – 1:00 pm or until capacity is reached |
| Wednesday: | 9:30 am – 1:00 pm or until capacity is reached |
| Thursday: | 9:30 am – 3:00 pm or until capacity is reached |
| Friday: | closed |
| Local Phone Numbers: | |
|---|---|
| Alameda County: | (510) 250-5270 |
| Contra Costa County West: | (510) 250-5270 |
| Contra Costa County East: | (925) 219-3325 |
| Marin County: | (415) 354-6360 |
| Napa County: | (707) 320-6348 |
| San Francisco County: | (415) 354-6360 |
| San Mateo County: | (650) 472-2666 |
| Santa Clara County: | (408) 850-7066 |
California Relay Service
Dial 7-1-1 or from TTY dial 1-800-735-2929 or visit California Relay Service for more information.
County not listed?
Visit www.LawHelpCA.org to find your local legal aid provider.
Disaster Relief Legal Hotline
BayLegal operates the Disaster Relief Legal Hotline as a partnership with the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative (DLAC). If you have been affected by wildfires, floods, earthquake or other disasters, please consult our Disaster Relief Resources page for the status and number of the hotline and for updated resources an information for those affected by disasters.
Other Legal Assistance Lines
HEALTH CONSUMER CENTER
Please call our Health Consumer Center if you are having problems related to health care access and coverage. Visit the Health Consumer Center page for more information.
| Health Consumer Center Schedule: | |
|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 9 AM – 1 PM |
Domestic Violence or Sexual Assault Survivors
Dedicated Legal Advice Line
If you are a survivor of domestic violence or sexual assault, you will need to be referred to our dedicated line by a local domestic violence or sexual assault agency, police department, or court. You may also contact the numbers listed above for housing, public benefits, consumer rights, or health access issues.