Legal Aid in Long Beach, CA: How to Get Help When You Can’t Afford a Private Attorney

If you live in Long Beach and need civil-legal help — for issues like eviction, housing problems, benefits, family law, immigration, or other common civil matters — there are real nonprofit organizations serving your community. This guide helps you find verified legal aid providers, explains what they cover, and shows how to prepare before reaching out.

Main legal aid providers serving Long Beach

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) — Long Beach Office

What they do: LAFLA serves low-income and vulnerable people in Long Beach and surrounding areas, offering civil-legal aid including housing (tenant/landlord, evictions, habitability), family law, domestic violence survivors’ assistance, immigration help, welfare/benefits problems, and more.

How to contact: The Long Beach office is located at 601 Pacific Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802.

Things they handle: Evictions, housing issues, domestic violence/family law matters, immigration (where eligible), benefit denials, and other civil-legal services.

Local Self-Help & Community Legal Support (via LAFLA Court Clinic at Long Beach Courthouse)

What they do: For people representing themselves, LAFLA runs a Self-Help Legal Access Center at the courthouse — providing help with court forms, procedural guidance, and legal-information resources (for housing/evictions, family law, restraining orders, small claims, etc.).

Who it helps: People of any income level who need assistance filling out forms and navigating civil-law processes — often useful when full representation isn’t available.

Community Legal Aid SoCal (serving parts of Los Angeles County including Long Beach area)

What they do: Civil-legal aid for low-income residents in the region, including domestic violence support, elder support, health-care access, and other civil-law matters.

Contact / intake: Phone: (800) 834-5001.

Other helpful resources & referral options

• Private-attorney referral & pro bono / low-cost help: The broader Los Angeles legal-aid ecosystem (via LAFLA, bar-association referrals, and nonprofit pro bono networks) can sometimes connect Long Beach residents to attorneys if they don’t qualify for full aid.
• Statewide directory for legal help: LawHelpCA.org lists verified legal-aid providers across California — useful for immigration, housing, benefits, and other civil-legal issues.

What kinds of legal issues are commonly covered — and what might not be covered

Common civil issues covered:

• Evictions, unsafe or substandard housing, landlord/tenant disputes
• Housing discrimination or habitability problems
• Domestic violence, protective orders, family law (custody, support, divorce for eligible clients)
• Immigration-related legal help (when eligible under LAFLA or other nonprofits)
• Public-benefits or welfare/aid disputes
• Consumer-debt issues, unfair debt collection, and related civil-law matters
• Health-care access, elder-law, and disability-related civil legal aid (through eligible services) 

Typically NOT covered (or limited):

• Criminal defense (felony, misdemeanor, DUI, traffic offenses) — these civil-aid providers focus on civil matters.
• Large commercial/business litigation or complex corporate disputes.
• Major personal-injury lawsuits.
• High-asset family-law cases outside income or eligibility thresholds.
• Some specialized immigration litigation may be out of scope depending on eligibility and provider capacity. 

When you should reach out quickly

• You receive an eviction notice or unlawful-detainer court papers: Housing matters move fast — contact LAFLA or Self-Help Center immediately.
• Unsafe housing conditions, habitability problems, or landlord harassment: Gather documentation and call a housing-law provider.
• Domestic violence, threats, or need for protective order: Contact LAFLA or a family-law nonprofit ASAP — safety is priority.
• Public benefits denied or cut, or health-coverage issues: Seek legal aid promptly; appeal deadlines may be short.
• Debt collection, wage garnishment, consumer-debt pressure: Save all paperwork and contact legal-aid early to explore defense options or negotiation help.

How to Prepare Before Applying or Calling

1. Gather all relevant documents: leases/rental agreements, eviction notices or court papers, pay stubs, benefit letters or denials, debt or collection letters, ID, proof of income/assets, medical or disability documentation if relevant.
2. Write a simple timeline of events: when the issue began (rent missed, notice received, violation occurred), dates of letters or communications, key deadlines, and any urgency (risk of homelessness, violence, health).
3. Prepare household & income information: number of people in household, monthly income, benefit status, children or dependents, any disabilities or special vulnerabilities — many legal-aid providers screen based on these.
4. Write a short summary of your problem: 2–3 sentences explaining what happened, what you need (eviction defense, protective order, debt help, benefits appeal, etc.), and why it’s urgent.
5. Note any special factors: domestic violence, disability, health issues, children, senior status — these may affect prioritization and eligibility for aid. 

Alternatives if You Don’t Qualify for Full Aid

• Use Self-Help Center at the courthouse: Great for people representing themselves — get help with procedures, forms, and filing paperwork.
• Look for limited-scope or low-cost assistance via pro bono/referral networks: LAFLA and other nonprofits may connect you with volunteer or modest-fee attorneys through their referral systems or bar-association networks.
• Check statewide resources: Use LawHelpCA.org to find other legal-aid or community-based providers depending on your issue.

Conclusion: First Steps for Long Beach Residents Needing Legal Help

If you live in Long Beach and need civil legal aid — for housing, family, benefits, immigration, or debt — start by calling LAFLA at 800-399-4529 and visiting their Long Beach office (601 Pacific Ave, Long Beach, 90802). If you don’t qualify for full representation, try the Self-Help Center at the local courthouse or contact Community Legal Aid SoCal. Having documentation, a timeline, and a clear summary ready will make intake smoother and increase your chances of getting help quickly.