How to Get Help - Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham

To qualify, candidates must:

Have a household income at or below 125% of federal poverty level; about $15,000 for a family of one, $31,000 for a family of four
Be a legal U.S. resident
Need assistance resolving a civil legal issue related to housing, finances, family law, or be a veteran in need of legal assistance on a civil law issue

We cannot accept the following kinds of cases:

Criminal cases
Lawsuits — such as personal injury or workers compensation — where clients are seeking money damages
Appeals

Where to go:

SAFE FINANCES AND SAFE HOUSING
Civil Legal Help Desk
Monday & Thursday 8:30 a.m. – Noon
Jefferson County Courthouse, Room 529
716 Richard Arrington Blvd North
Birmingham, AL 35203

SAFE FAMILIES
Help Desk Solving Domestic Law Issues
Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to Noon
Domestic Relations Courthouse
First Floor
2124 7^th Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203

SERVING VETERANS
Help Desk Focusing on Veterans’ Legal Issues
Fourth Wednesday each month 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Birmingham VA Medical Clinic – 1^st Floor
2415 7^th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233

SAFE FINANCES
Bankruptcy Help Desk
First Friday each month 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Robert S. Vance Federal Bankruptcy Courthouse – 1^st Floor
1800 5^th Avenue North
Birmingham, AL 35203

SAFE HOUSING
Help Desk Removing Legal Barriers for Homeless Clients
First Tuesday each month 8:30 a.m. to Noon
Cooper Green Mercy Health Services
5^th Floor (Offices of One Roof)
1515 6^th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233

SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS
Help Desk Resolving Civil Legal Issues for Residents of Woodlawn
First Tuesday each month 9 a.m. to noon
The Park at Wood Station apartment complex clubhouse
6051 1^st Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35212

What to expect at a help desk:

Free service. Qualifying clients pay no fees for a Help Desk service. Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham provides this free service to assist low-income residents with their legal needs. Clients may be responsible for paying certain court filing fees.
Face-to-face meeting. A Help Desk visit involves an in-person meeting with a qualified attorney who has volunteered his or her time to assist residents unable to afford an attorney.
Short-term engagement. A meeting with a lawyer at a Help Desk is a one-time service.
Additional visits possible. Should clients return for additional visits, they may be seen by a different attorney volunteer.
Extended Representation Possible. For certain kinds of cases, VLB seeks to match clients with attorneys for longer-term representation. Extended representation is determined on a case-by-case basis based on availibilty of attorney volunteers. VLB cannot guarantee clients a free attorney for the duration of their cases.

What to bring:

Proof of Income, such as: pay stub, Social Security or disability approval letter
Legal documents related to your issue, such as: child support order, lease, eviction notice, garnishment notice.

Where we help:

Jefferson County. The vast majority of our work involves legal matters in Jefferson County. VLB currently does not have the capacity to guarantee service to clients from neighboring counties.

Latest Projects

Pro Hops Vino!

The fifth-annual Pro Hops Vino! will take place November 7, 5:30 – 8:30 pm at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Click here for more information.
Safe Housing

Once a month, on the second Tuesday, VLB has a special Help Desk for homeless clients at One Roof, which is a partner organization of VLB that is dedicated to ending homelessness. Our volunteers assist homeless clients with a variety of legal issues, but typically the most common area that VLB assists with is resolving legal barriers to gaining a form of legal identification. If you or someone you know needs assistance, you can click here for more information. If you’re an attorney who would like to volunteer at the Homeless Help Desk, click here!
Safe Families

Every Wednesday morning, you can find VLB at the Jefferson County Domestic Relations Courthouse helping residents of the greater Birmingham area with domestic relations legal issues like divorce, child support, and custody. VLB also manages a special pro se court docket for low-income clients on the second Friday of each month. If you need assistance with a domestic relations legal issue, please check out this page about our Help Desk. If you’re an attorney who would like to volunteer at the Help Desk, click here!
Safe Finances

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, you can find VLB at the Jefferson County Courthouse helping residents of the greater Birmingham area with civil legal issues: wills, small claims, landlord-tenant issues, and more. Please click here for a complete list of issues VLB can assist with at our Civil Help Desk and how you can receive assistance. If you’re an attorney who would like to volunteer at the Help Desk, click here!
Serving Veterans

On the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, VLB has a special Help Desk for veterans at the Birmingham VA Annex. Our volunteers assist low-income veteran clients with any legal issue that they may have, whether pertaining to their service or not. If you or someone you know is a veteran who needs legal assistance, you can click here for more information. If you’re an attorney who would like to volunteer at the Serving Veterans Help Desk, click here!