Illinois Court Help
Illinois Court Help has guides to help you understand and go through the court process, wherever you are in Illinois. Call 833-411-1121 or visit ilcourthelp.gov.
Lawyers
In Chicago and Cook County, please call CARPLS at (312) 738-9200 for free or low-cost legal advice and referral information. Please note that you may have to wait for up to 20 minutes to speak with an attorney. For $25 you can schedule an appointment. Please visit the website for more information.
If you are representing yourself and have a question about your case, you can submit a question to the Illinois Free Legal Answers and have it answered by a pro bono lawyer. You must meet income qualifications to use the program.
For help finding a lawyer in the Chicago area who offers affordable services with set fees, contact the Justice Entrepreneurs Project. The Greater Chicago Legal Clinic may offer reduced cost legal representation in certain areas of law.
In Northern Illinois (outside of Cook County), please contact your local Prairie State Legal Services office.
In Southern Illinois, please contact Land of Lincoln Legal Aid at (618) 394-7300 or toll free at (877) 342-7891.
For Referrals to Lawyers to Hire
For help finding a lawyer, please contact the Chicago Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service or see the Limited Scope Referral Panels (in Chicago) or the Illinois State Bar Association LawyerFinder (statewide).
If you are looking for a lawyer outside of Illinois, please visit the American Bar Association Lawyer Referral Directory.
Court Staff and Other Help
These resources can only provide you with information and CANNOT give you legal advice. For legal advice, contact a lawyer (see information above).
Legal Self-Help Centers
Find a self-help center in your area by clicking here and scrolling down to the “Find a self-help center” section, selecting your county, and seeing the location and contact information for the centers.
Illinois Legal Aid Online Live Chat
Go to www.illinoislegalaid.org. From any page, click on the Live Chat button on the right-hand side of the page. The agents can help you find information on the website about your legal issue. If the icon does not appear, there is no one available to chat with.
Cook County Court Information Helpline
Call 872-529-1093 to speak to an Illinois JusticeCorps volunteer about court operations and procedures, virtual court appearances, court forms, e-filing, and other legal information or referrals.