Legal Aid in Boulder, CO: Where to Get Help If You Can’t Afford a Lawyer

If you live in Boulder and need civil-legal help but don’t have the resources for a private attorney, there are several nonprofit, county-based, and statewide programs available. They can help with housing and tenant issues, evictions, debt or consumer problems, family law, public-benefits, immigration-related services, and more. If full representation isn’t available, there are also self-help clinics and limited-scope or reduced-fee options. (And — as always — residents can upload their legal documents to your LegalClarity tool for a plain-language breakdown, with the standard disclaimer that this is not legal advice.)

Major Legal Aid & Support Providers Serving Boulder

Colorado Legal Services (CLS) — Boulder Office

What they do: CLS is the statewide civil-legal aid nonprofit for low-income residents and seniors. Their Boulder office handles cases involving eviction defense, landlord/tenant disputes, unsafe or substandard housing, public-benefits issues (Medicaid, SNAP, benefit denials or appeals), debt/consumer matters, and other civil-law problems for eligible clients.

How to contact: Call 303-449-7575 or visit 2935 Baseline Road, Suite 301, Boulder, CO 80303.

Boulder County Legal Services (BCLS)

What they do: BCLS offers free civil-legal services to low-income individuals in Boulder County. Their scope includes housing/tenant issues, landlord-tenant law, real estate/housing, consumer rights, debt/credit, elder law, public benefits, social security, family law and juvenile matters.

How to contact: Phone: 303-449-7575. Address as above (same office location as CLS).

Bridge to Justice

What they do: Bridge to Justice serves low- and moderate-income residents, providing legal aid at reduced cost (or free when eligible). They handle family law, some eviction defense (for tenants in the City of Boulder under certain tenancy protections), and public benefits & healthcare/food-assistance appeals (e.g. Medicaid, SNAP, health exchange plan issues).

How to contact: Phone: 303-443-1038 (ext 104). Intake available via their website.

Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County (Immigration & Naturalization Support)

What they do: Provides legal assistance to immigrants and non-citizens for matters including adjustment of status, DACA, family-based petitions, naturalization, and other immigration-related filings and forms. Staff speak English and Spanish.

Contact: 303-444-1522. Office: 948 North Street, Suite 8, Boulder, CO 80304.

Free & Low-Cost Court-Linked & Self-Help Options

The courts in Boulder County maintain self-help services, free legal clinics, and “Ask-an-Attorney” sessions for residents who represent themselves or cannot afford full representation. These cover topics like eviction/unlawful-detainer filings, small-claims, family-law filings (custody, support, divorce paperwork), name-changes, protective orders, and other civil matters.

Common Civil-Law Issues Covered in Boulder

• Eviction defense, unlawful detainer, landlord/tenant disputes, habitability complaints
• Housing stability and tenant rights under local or state law
• Public-benefits appeals or denials (Medicaid, SNAP, health-insurance, disability, etc.)
• Consumer-debt defense, debt-collection issues, credit disputes
• Family law: divorce, child custody or support, protective orders, etc. (for eligible clients) — via BCLS, Bridge to Justice, or CLS
• Immigration-related filings and forms for immigrants and non-citizens (via Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County)
• Elder-law issues, seniors’ public benefit access, guardianship or POA matters for eligible seniors (via CLS/BCLS)

What Legal Aid in Boulder Usually Doesn’t Cover or Has Limits

• Criminal defense (felony, misdemeanor, traffic) — CLS and other aid programs focus on civil law.
• Large-scale commercial litigation or complex high-asset civil litigation — nonprofit civil-aid services typically serve low-income or limited-means clients and common civil issues.
• Some housing cases — e.g., certain eviction or landlord-tenant cases may be limited by funding or demand (especially during large eviction waves). In such cases, reduced-fee or limited-scope help via Bridge to Justice may be an alternate option.

Alternatives if You Don’t Qualify or Aid Providers Are at Capacity

• Court Self-Help & Free Clinics: Use Boulder County’s self-help center or attend scheduled free clinics for procedural help or document filing assistance.
• Reduced-Fee or Sliding-Scale Services via Bridge to Justice: For moderate-income households that don’t qualify for free aid but still can’t afford standard attorney rates.
• Immigration Support Services: If your issue involves immigration or naturalization, use the Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County for affordable legal help.
• DIY & Document Review Tools: If paid or free representation is unavailable — you can still upload documents using your LegalClarity tool to get plain-language explanations and possible next steps (informational only, not legal advice).

How to Prepare Before Contacting Legal Aid or Clinics

1. Gather relevant documents: leases, rent-subsidy paperwork, eviction or notice letters, chat or email communications, housing photos, benefit letters or application denials, pay stubs or income proof, debt-collection letters, notice of garnishment, custody or support filings (if applicable), immigration or status paperwork (if relevant), ID or benefit-eligibility docs, etc.
2. Write a clear summary of your issue: 2-3 simple sentences: who’s involved, what happened, when, what outcome you want (e.g. eviction defense, benefits appeal, protective order, debt resolution, immigration filing, etc.).
3. Have household & income info ready: legal-aid providers often screen based on income, household size, benefits status, age (seniors), disability status — have documentation ready (IDs, benefit notices, pay stubs, proof of residency, etc.).
4. Note deadlines or urgent dates: rent due dates, eviction hearing dates, benefit-appeal deadlines, debt-collection court dates, immigration filing windows — timely action often affects eligibility or success.
5. Prepare specific questions or desired outcomes: e.g., “Can you help me respond to this eviction notice?”, “I need help appealing my SNAP denial”, “I’m behind on rent — can you advise me?”, “I need to apply for citizenship”, etc. Clear goals make intake and triage easier for providers.

Conclusion: Where Boulder Residents Should Start

If you need civil-legal help in Boulder and cannot afford a private lawyer — start by contacting Colorado Legal Services at 303-449-7575. If that doesn’t work or they’re at capacity, try Boulder County Legal Services or Bridge to Justice (303-443-1038 ext 104). For immigration issues — contact Immigrant Legal Center of Boulder County at 303-444-1522. If you just need help with paperwork, court forms, or simple filings — check for free self-help clinics or court self-help services. And if no representation is available — you can still offer users the option to upload documents to LegalClarity’s document-explainer tool for plain-language guidance. As with all articles — note that this is informational only, not legal advice.