THE DIRECTORY
The 12 offices the California guide sends people to, with what each one handles and how to reach it. Read off each office’s own page as of September 2026, and every entry carries the link so the number here can be checked against the source.
A list, not a referral. Nothing here is a recommendation, and no office on it has any connection to this site.
Start here
The two places that say which local help covers an address, and publish the forms.
- California Courts Self-Help Guide, Free or Low-Cost Legal Help
Explains free and low cost legal help, from legal aid and nonprofit groups to limited scope lawyers, and points to LawHelpCalifornia.org to find the legal aid offices in an area and the areas of law they cover.
- Covers
- Statewide
Sent here by Being Evicted, Getting the Deposit Back, When the Landlord Will Not Fix It, Custody and Parenting Time, Getting Divorced, Protective Orders, Debt Collectors
- California Courts Self-Help Guide
Guides to court cases by type, from custody, divorce and eviction to restraining orders, small claims and name changes, with court forms, fee waivers and interpreter requests.
- Covers
- Statewide
Sent here by Small Claims Court, Changing Your Name, Clearing a Record, Getting Divorced, A Small Estate, Custody and Parenting Time, Protective Orders
Free civil legal help
Each program covers part of the state and each sets its own eligibility. The lookup above is what settles which one covers a county.
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
A nonprofit law firm giving free legal services through neighborhood offices, self help centers at courthouses and domestic violence clinics, with intake lines in many languages.
- Covers
- Greater Los Angeles
- For
- People living in poverty
- Phone
- 1-800-399-4529
Sent here by Being Evicted, Getting the Deposit Back, When the Landlord Will Not Fix It, Custody and Parenting Time, Getting Divorced, Protective Orders, Debt Collectors
- Bay Area Legal Aid
Free civil legal help, including advice, self help clinics and representation, through its Legal Advice Line.
- Covers
- The Bay Area
- For
- Low income people
- Phone
- 1-800-551-5554
Sent here by Being Evicted, Getting the Deposit Back, When the Landlord Will Not Fix It, Custody and Parenting Time, Getting Divorced, Protective Orders, Debt Collectors
- Legal Services of Northern California
Legal services for poor people, from offices that began as separate programs in Sacramento, Auburn, Woodland, Solano, Chico, Redding, Eureka and Ukiah.
- Covers
- Northern California, from offices in Sacramento, Auburn, Woodland, Solano, Chico, Redding, Eureka and Ukiah
- For
- People with low incomes
- Phone
- (916) 551-2150
Sent here by Being Evicted, Getting the Deposit Back, When the Landlord Will Not Fix It, Debt Collectors, What a Creditor Cannot Take, Old Debts and Time Limits, When They Take the Car Back
- Legal Aid Society of San Diego
Free legal help in areas including evictions and housing, restraining orders, family law, consumer protection and bankruptcy, public benefits and education rights, with walk in clinics.
- Covers
- San Diego
- For
- San Diegans who qualify for its services
- Phone
- 1-877-534-2524
Sent here by Being Evicted, Getting the Deposit Back, When the Landlord Will Not Fix It, Custody and Parenting Time, Getting Divorced, Protective Orders, Debt Collectors
The offices the guide names
Where a complaint, a charge, a report or an appeal in the fine print of a section actually goes.
- California Civil Rights Department
The state agency charged with enforcing California's civil rights laws, against unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, businesses and state funded programs, and against bias motivated violence and human trafficking.
- Covers
- Statewide
- Phone
- 1-800-884-1684
Sent here by Discrimination at Work, Working with a Record, Housing Discrimination
- California Labor Commissioner's Office
Handles wages, breaks, retaliation and labor laws, and publishes the yearly workplace rights notice employers give employees.
- Covers
- Statewide
- Phone
- 1-833-526-4636
Sent here by Getting Paid, Minimum Wage, The Pay Stub
- California Employment Development Department, Unemployment Insurance
Takes applications for unemployment benefits and supports people through a job loss, with a customer service line in English and Spanish and others in more languages.
- Covers
- Statewide
- Phone
- 1-800-300-5616
Sent here by Unemployment Benefits
- California Division of Workers' Compensation
Monitors the administration of workers' compensation claims and provides administrative and judicial services to help resolve disputes over workers' compensation benefits.
- Covers
- Statewide
- Phone
- 1-800-736-7401
Sent here by Hurt at Work
- California Attorney General, Protecting Consumers
Consumer alerts and tips on common scams. A complaint about a business goes to the agency that regulates that business, found through its complaint referral table.
- Covers
- Statewide
Consumer complaint against a business →
Sent here by Deceptive Business Practices, Lemon Law, Door to Door Sales, The Letter About Your Information, When Someone Uses Your Name, The Repair Estimate, Debt Collectors
Paid representation
Referral services that give a name and a number. They are not free and they are not a recommendation.
- State Bar of California, Certified Lawyer Referral Services
Certifies lawyer referral services, which must meet standards approved by the California Supreme Court, and lists them. The Attorney General's office gives the toll free number here for a referral to one.
- Covers
- Statewide, through the certified local services
- Phone
- 1-866-442-2529
Sent here by Small Claims Court, Changing Your Name, Clearing a Record, Getting Divorced, A Small Estate, Being Arrested, Bail After an Arrest