Pro bono legal services are free or reduced-cost legal help provided by lawyers who donate their time, and they have no hidden fees because the lawyer absorbs the cost instead of billing you
Pro bono work comes from the Latin phrase "pro bono publico," meaning "for the public good." When a lawyer takes a case pro bono, they work without charging you a fee. You will not receive a bill for their time, and you will not owe them money if you lose the case. The lawyer's firm or the organization coordinating the work covers the costs of their labor.
This is different from a contingency arrangement, where a lawyer takes a percentage of money you win. In pro bono work, there is no percentage and no payment expected from you at any point. Some cases do involve expenses — court filing fees, informed witness costs, document copying — and those vary by case type and jurisdiction. The lawyer may cover these too, or they may ask you to pay them, or a nonprofit funding the case may cover them. You should ask about expenses before the work begins.
Key Takeaways
- Pro bono lawyers do not charge you for their time, but some cases involve court fees or informed costs that may or may not be your responsibility.
- Legal aid organizations, bar associations, and law firms all run pro bono programs, and they have different may be able to access rules based on income and case type.
- Pro bono help is most common for family law, housing disputes, immigration, and criminal defense, and least common for business or contract disputes.
- You should ask in writing what expenses you might owe and what the lawyer will cover before you sign any agreement.
Where Pro Bono Lawyers Come From
Pro bono work is organized through three main channels: legal aid organizations, bar associations, and law firms themselves. Legal aid organizations like your state's legal aid society exist specifically to serve low-income people. They employ staff attorneys and also recruit volunteer lawyers from private firms to take cases. Bar associations — the professional licensing bodies in each state — run volunteer networks that match lawyers to people who need help. Law firms sometimes dedicate a percentage of their work to pro bono cases as part of their business practice or corporate responsibility.
Each channel has different may be able to access rules. Legal aid organizations typically use income thresholds — you must earn below a certain percentage of the federal poverty line, which varies by state and family size. Bar association volunteer networks may have looser income rules but stricter case-type rules; they might take housing cases but not immigration cases. Law firms that do pro bono work often focus on specific areas — one firm might specialize in employment discrimination, another in family law.
The best starting point is your state bar association's website or a call to your local legal aid society. Both can tell you which programs exist in your area and whether your situation fits their scope. Legal aid societies can usually tell you in one conversation whether they can help or whether they can refer you to a bar association program that can.
What Cases Pro Bono Lawyers Actually Take
Pro bono work concentrates in areas where people have the most urgent need and the least ability to pay. Family law — divorce, custody, child support — is the largest category. Housing law is the second: eviction defense, landlord disputes, habitability claims. Immigration cases, criminal defense for people who cannot afford a public defender, and domestic violence protective orders round out the bulk of pro bono work.
Cases that are less likely to find pro bono help include contract disputes between businesses, personal injury claims (because contingency lawyers already serve this market), and tax disputes. Bankruptcy is a middle ground: some legal aid organizations take consumer bankruptcy cases, but many do not because the rules are complex and the time commitment is high.
The reason for this pattern is straightforward: pro bono work targets people in crisis who have no other way to pay. A person facing eviction needs a lawyer now. A person in a custody dispute needs representation to protect their relationship with their child. A person facing criminal charges needs defense. A person in an immigration proceeding faces deportation. A contract dispute, by contrast, can often wait, and the person can save money to hire a lawyer later.
Expenses You Might Owe in a Pro Bono Case
The lawyer's time is free, but the case itself may have costs. Court filing fees are the most common. If you file a lawsuit, the court charges a fee to open the case — this varies by court and case type, but can range from under $100 to several hundred dollars. If you file an appeal, there are additional fees. These are paid to the court, not to the lawyer, and they are required to move forward.
Other expenses include service of process (paying a sheriff or process server to deliver documents to the other party), informed witness fees (if the case requires a doctor, engineer, or other specialist to testify), and document copying or transcript costs. In a family law case, you might need a custody evaluation by a psychologist; in a housing case, you might need a building inspector's report. These are real costs that someone has to pay.
Who pays these expenses depends on the arrangement. Some legal aid organizations and law firms cover all expenses as part of their pro bono commitment. Others ask the client to pay them. Some split the difference — the organization covers court fees but asks the client to pay for informed witnesses. A few programs have expense funds that cover costs for clients who cannot pay. You must ask about this before you sign anything. Request a written statement of what you will and will not owe.
How Income and Assets Affect Pro Bono may be able to access
Legal aid organizations use income limits to decide who they can serve. These limits are usually set at 125% to 200% of the federal poverty line, depending on the organization and the state. For a single person in 2024, 125% of the poverty line is roughly $1,700 per month; for a family of four, it is roughly $3,500 per month. These numbers change each year, and they vary by state because some states add their own funds to federal legal aid money.
Income is not the only factor. Legal aid organizations also look at assets. If you own a house, a car, or savings, that affects whether you may have access to. The rules vary: some organizations disregard a primary home and one vehicle entirely. Others count them. Some have asset limits — you might be ineligible if you have more than $5,000 in savings, though this varies. You should provide honest information about your income and assets when you contact a legal aid organization. They are not trying to catch you; they are trying to serve the people with the greatest need.
Bar association volunteer networks sometimes have looser income rules because they are matching volunteer lawyers to cases, not managing a limited budget. A lawyer might take a case pro bono even if you earn above the legal aid threshold, especially if the case is in an area they specialize in or if it involves a public interest issue.
How to Find and Request Pro Bono Legal Help
Start with your state bar association. Most state bars have a "lawyer referral service" or "pro bono program" page on their website. This page lists organizations that provide free legal help and tells you how to contact them. You can also call your state bar's main number and ask for the pro bono coordinator.
Your second option is to search for your local legal aid society by name. Search "[your state] legal aid society" or "[your county] legal aid." Legal aid organizations usually have intake lines you can call. They will ask you questions about your income, your case type, and your situation, and they will tell you on the phone whether they can help or whether they can refer you elsewhere.
If you are in a crisis — facing eviction, in when ready danger, or facing a court date soon — tell the intake person that. Many legal aid organizations have emergency procedures that move urgent cases to the front of the queue. If you are facing a court date in two weeks, say so. If you are about to be evicted, say so. This information helps them prioritize.
You should also ask whether the organization has a waiting list and how long it typically takes to hear back. Some organizations have no wait; others have waits of several weeks or months. If there is a wait and your situation is urgent, ask whether they can refer you to a bar association volunteer network or a law firm that might move faster.
What Happens After You Are Matched With a Lawyer
Once you are matched with a pro bono lawyer, you will sign an engagement letter or retainer agreement. This document should state clearly that there is no fee for the lawyer's time. It should also state what expenses, if any, you are responsible for. Read this document carefully. If it is unclear, ask the lawyer to explain it before you sign.
The lawyer will then work on your case the same way a paid lawyer would: gathering documents, interviewing you, researching the law, communicating with the other side, and representing you in court or in settlement negotiations. The timeline depends on the case type. A protective order case might move to a hearing in weeks. A custody case might take months. A housing case might resolve in weeks if the landlord settles, or it might go to trial.
You are responsible for being responsive to your lawyer. Return their calls and emails promptly. Bring documents they request. Show up to appointments and court dates. Pro bono lawyers are donating their time, and they are more likely to stay engaged if you are engaged too. If you feel your lawyer is not communicating with you or is not moving the case forward, you can ask to speak with their supervisor or the organization coordinating the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay the lawyer back if I win money in my case?
No. In a true pro bono arrangement, the lawyer does not take a percentage of any money you win. If you win a settlement or judgment, the money is yours. However, you may owe court costs or informed fees if you agreed to pay those. Ask your lawyer in writing before the case starts whether you will owe anything from any money you win.
What if I earn too much for legal aid but still cannot afford a lawyer?
Contact your state or local bar association's volunteer lawyer network. These programs sometimes serve people above the legal aid income limit, especially if your case involves a public interest issue like housing rights or domestic violence. You can also ask a paid lawyer whether they will take your case on contingency, meaning they take a percentage of money you win instead of charging you upfront.
Can a pro bono lawyer drop my case?
Yes, but not without notice. A lawyer can withdraw from a case if you stop communicating, if you ask them to do something illegal or unethical, or if the organization running the pro bono program decides to close the case. They must give you notice and usually must help you find another lawyer or give you time to find one yourself. Ask your lawyer what circumstances would lead them to withdraw.
Will a pro bono lawyer fight as hard as a paid lawyer?
Most pro bono lawyers are experienced attorneys who take cases they believe in. They are not being paid less because they work less hard; they are being paid nothing because they have chosen to donate their time. That said, pro bono lawyers often carry larger caseloads than paid lawyers, so communication might be slower. Ask your lawyer upfront how many cases they are handling and how quickly you can expect responses.
What if I need a lawyer for something pro bono programs do not cover?
Ask your legal aid organization or bar association whether they can refer you to a lawyer who takes cases on contingency or who charges reduced fees. Some lawyers offer sliding-scale fees based on income. You can also contact law school clinics in your area — many law schools run free legal clinics for the public, staffed by students under faculty supervision.