Meta: A 2025 plain-language guide to real nonprofit and public-service legal aid options for Hialeah, FL residents — including who to call, what cases they handle, and how to prepare before reaching out.
Legal Aid in Hialeah, FL: Where to Get Help If You Can’t Afford a Lawyer
If you live in Hialeah and need legal help but can’t afford a private attorney, several nonprofit organizations in Miami-Dade County offer free or low-cost civil-legal assistance. These services can help with eviction defense, landlord/tenant problems, domestic violence, family law, immigration paperwork, consumer and debt issues, and public-benefits appeals. If full representation isn’t available, there are also clinics, hotlines, and court self-help options. (Your site can also guide users to upload documents to the LegalClarity tool for plain-language explanations — informational only, not legal advice.)
Major Legal Aid Providers Serving Hialeah
Legal Services of Greater Miami (LSGM)
What they do: LSGM is Miami-Dade County’s primary civil-legal aid provider for low-income residents. They handle eviction defense, unsafe housing, security-deposit disputes, debt and consumer issues, public-benefits problems, unemployment matters, domestic violence, immigration-related paperwork, veteran services, and rights-restoration issues. They serve all of Miami-Dade, including Hialeah.
How to contact: Phone: (305) 576-0080. Online intake available on their website: legalservicesmiami.org
Dade Legal Aid (Put Something Back Program)
What they do: Dade Legal Aid coordinates pro bono assistance from private attorneys for eligible low-income residents. They help with family-law matters (custody, child support, divorce), domestic violence cases, housing issues, probate, guardianship, and consumer disputes. Their pro bono "Put Something Back" program is one of Florida’s largest.
How to contact: Phone: (305) 579-5733. Website: dadelegalaid.org
Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts – Self-Help Program
What they do: Provides low-cost assistance with court forms, filings, family-law packets, small-claims paperwork, landlord/tenant filings, and restraining orders. The program does not provide legal advice, but helps residents navigate the court process.
How to contact: Website: miami-dadeclerk.com. Several locations available throughout the county.
Common Civil-Legal Issues Covered
- Evictions, landlord/tenant disputes, unsafe or uninhabitable housing
- Debt collection, garnishments, credit issues, consumer fraud
- Domestic violence and protective orders
- Family law: custody, child support, divorce, paternity, guardianship
- Public benefits: Medicaid, SNAP, SSI/SSDI, unemployment problems
- Immigration paperwork and DACA/renewal assistance (for eligible clients)
- Senior and veteran legal assistance
What Hialeah Legal Aid Usually Does Not Handle
- Criminal cases (felonies, misdemeanors, DUI, traffic)
- Large business or commercial litigation
- Highly complex or high-asset divorce cases
- Most immigration court representation (varies by capacity)
When Hialeah Residents Should Seek Help Immediately
- You received an eviction notice: Contact LSGM right away — eviction timelines in Florida are very short.
- You experienced domestic violence: Dade Legal Aid and the Self-Help Center can assist with obtaining protective orders.
- You received debt-collection threats or garnishment notices: Save all letters and seek help from LSGM or Dade Legal Aid.
- Your public benefits were denied or cut off: Appeals are time-sensitive.
- You have pending family-law court dates: Contact a provider as soon as possible.
How to Prepare Before Calling or Applying
- Collect documents: leases, eviction notices, rent records, debt letters, benefit denial notices, pay stubs, family-law pleadings, police reports, immigration paperwork, etc.
- Create a short timeline: when notices were received, deadlines, communications with landlords or agencies.
- Prepare household and income information: legal-aid programs screen based on income.
- Write a short description of the issue: 2–3 clear sentences about what happened and what help you need.
- Identify urgent factors: risk of homelessness, domestic violence, disability, senior status — these can affect prioritization.
Alternatives If You Don’t Qualify for Free Legal Aid
- Miami-Dade Self-Help Program: Low-cost forms and procedural assistance for family law, landlord/tenant, and small claims.
- Sliding-scale or limited-scope attorneys: Many Miami-Dade law firms offer unbundled legal services for lower fees.
- Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service: Low-cost consultations with private attorneys. (lrs.floridabar.org)
- LegalClarity document-explainer tool: Users can upload legal documents for a plain-language summary and next-step guidance (not legal advice).
Conclusion: Where Hialeah Residents Should Start
If you live in Hialeah and need free or low-cost civil-legal help, begin by contacting Legal Services of Greater Miami at (305) 576-0080. If they can’t take your case, try Dade Legal Aid at (305) 579-5733. For help with forms or self-representation, the Miami-Dade Clerk’s Self-Help Center is a strong alternative. And when no representation is available, your LegalClarity document-upload tool can give residents a plain-language explanation of notices and court documents — informational only, not legal advice.