Senior Legal Aid Locator
Help with a power of attorney, a guardianship question, a denied benefit or a scam does not have to mean hiring an expensive private attorney. These are the free national services and how to reach them.
Two federally funded networks provide most free legal help for seniors. The Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) connects you to legal assistance funded under the Older Americans Act, which generally has no strict income limit. The Legal Services Corporation's Find Legal Aid tool locates general civil legal aid organizations, which use an income guideline of about 125% of the federal poverty line. For complex matters that need a specialist, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys has a free directory of paid elder law attorneys.
Information about "free lawyers for seniors" is often vague or out of date. The three services below are national, run by established organizations, and will direct you to an office near you.
Find Legal Help
Eldercare Locator: start here if you are a senior
A federal program (Administration for Community Living) connecting older adults to free legal assistance funded under the Older Americans Act, delivered through your local Area Agency on Aging. There is generally no strict income limit. Priority goes to people with the greatest social and economic need.
Call 1-800-677-1116 → eldercare.acl.gov →Legal Services Corporation: general civil legal aid
LSC funds 130+ nonprofit legal aid organizations covering every state and territory. Their Find Legal Aid tool searches by address or ZIP code. Income guideline is roughly 125% of the federal poverty line, though exact case acceptance varies by local organization.
Find Legal Aid Near Me →NAELA: for complex matters that need a specialist
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys' free directory lists private attorneys who concentrate on elder law, including Medicaid planning, trusts and contested guardianship. Searching is free. Hiring the attorney is not.
Find an Elder Law Attorney →| Older Americans Act legal help | LSC-funded legal aid | Elder law attorney (NAELA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it serves | People 60 and older | Low-income people of any age | Anyone |
| Cost | Free | Free | Paid |
| Income test | Generally none. Priority goes to those in greatest need. | About 125% of the poverty line | None |
| How to reach it | Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116 | Find Legal Aid at lsc.gov | Find a Lawyer at naela.org |
Older Americans Act legal assistance. Title III-B of the Act funds legal help for older adults, delivered locally through Area Agencies on Aging. It is based on need and vulnerability, with no strict income test. A senior with modest savings and an urgent problem, such as an eviction, a benefit denial or financial exploitation, can often get help.
Legal Services Corporation. Congress created LSC in 1974 to fund civil legal aid for low-income people of any age. Its guideline is income of about 125% of the federal poverty line, which is roughly $19,950 a year for one person under the 2026 guidelines. Each local office sets its own cutoff and decides which kinds of cases it takes.
What both usually handle: powers of attorney, advance directives and living wills, basic estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship questions, Social Security and Medicaid denials and appeals, landlord-tenant disputes, and consumer problems such as a scam or an unfair contract.
What they usually do not handle: Medicaid asset-protection trusts, contested probate cases and other specialist work. The NAELA directory lists private attorneys who concentrate on elder law.
Before you call, have ready: a short account of the problem, any letters or notices with their dates, the deadline if there is one, and a rough figure for your household income. Mention deadlines first, because appeal periods can be short.
If money is being taken now. Call Adult Protective Services first, through our Elder Abuse Resource Locator, or 911 if someone is in danger. Legal aid comes afterward, to reverse a fraudulent transaction, seek a guardianship if exploitation continues, or deal with a benefits problem that resulted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find free legal help for a senior?
Start with the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116, eldercare.acl.gov), a federal service that connects seniors to free legal assistance funded under the Older Americans Act and delivered through local Area Agencies on Aging. For general civil legal aid, the Legal Services Corporation's Find Legal Aid tool lists LSC-funded organizations by ZIP code.
Do I have to be low-income to get free senior legal help?
It depends on the program. Legal assistance funded through the Older Americans Act generally has no strict income limit and gives priority to people with the greatest social and economic need. Organizations funded by the Legal Services Corporation use an income guideline, typically about 125% of the federal poverty line.
What kind of legal issues does free senior legal aid cover?
Commonly: powers of attorney, advance directives and living wills, guardianship and conservatorship questions, Social Security and Medicaid denials and appeals, landlord-tenant disputes, scams and financial exploitation, and basic estate planning. Complex matters such as Medicaid trust planning usually need a private elder law attorney.
What's the difference between free legal aid and an elder law attorney?
Free legal aid organizations, funded by LSC or the Older Americans Act, handle common civil legal needs at no cost, usually with priorities based on income or need. An elder law attorney is a private, paid specialist for complex matters such as Medicaid planning, trusts and contested guardianship. You can find one through NAELA's Find a Lawyer directory. Searching the directory is free, and the attorney's work is not.
I think a senior is being financially exploited or scammed. Is that a legal aid issue?
It can be. If it is happening now, start with Adult Protective Services, or 911 if someone is in danger. Our Elder Abuse Resource Locator covers reporting. Legal aid can help afterward with recovering assets and other legal consequences.
Each local legal aid organization and Area Agency on Aging sets its own income guidelines and decides which cases it accepts, and both can change. The 125% of the federal poverty line figure for LSC-funded aid is a general guideline from LSC's 2026 Federal Register notice, not a guarantee for any local office. This site is not affiliated with the Administration for Community Living, the Legal Services Corporation or NAELA.