In my experience, free legal advice is worth what you pay for it, but I understand that there are some (even many) who simply cannot afford an attorney (or believe they can’t) who need legal advice or assistance.
There are some sources of free or discounted legal advice and services. Generally speaking and in my experience, they are of poor quality, and if there are exceptions, they are hard to find and hard to identify.
Still, if you are desperate and feel that any advice/help is better than none (and bear in mind that in many instances bad legal advice/help can be worse than none), you can call the local or state bar association for the jurisdiction (state) where you live and ask it for a list of free or discounted legal assistance providers. That would, in my opinion, be the best place to start.
In Utah, where I practice divorce and family law, the Utah State Bar’s number is 801–531–9077. Their website can be access here: Utah State Bar | Serving The Public and Legal Professionals. Ask for reference to the free legal help services provided by or known to the Utah State Bar when you call, or visit the website to search these options.
Local law schools almost always offer some kind of pro bono legal help through programs staffed by volunteer law students or by students who, as part of their course, help find answers to legal questions or help provide legal representation.
You could also do a Google/Duckduckgo/Bing/Opera search for “pro bono legal help” or “pro bono legal assistance” or similar searches, as well as searches for “discount lawyer” or “low cost lawyer” etc. Again, be warned: cheap legal services are rarely a bargain (heck, they’re rarely any good at all). Be thorough in your search. Choose wisely.
Many who believe they cannot afford an attorney “discover”, after considering the cheap and free options, that they can (or more accurately, that they can’t afford not to spend the money on good advice/help). That’s not a knock on poor people, it’s just acknowledging that there is a reason why good legal advice/representation is expensive.
Utah Family Law, LC | divorceutah.com | 801-466-9277