If you live in Fort Worth and cannot afford a private attorney, several organizations provide free or low-cost civil legal aid serving Tarrant County. These groups help with evictions, unsafe housing, domestic violence, consumer debt, family law, immigration-related civil matters, disability benefits, senior legal needs, and more. (You may upload legal documents to LegalClarity for a plain-English explanation, informational only, not legal advice.)
Major Legal Aid Providers Serving Fort Worth
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT), Fort Worth Office
What they do: LANWT is the primary free civil legal aid provider for Tarrant County and surrounding areas, serving 114 counties across North and West Texas. The Fort Worth office handles general civil matters including family law, child custody, housing and landlord-tenant disputes, public benefits, wills, employment, and bankruptcy. They also run regular legal clinics for evictions, general civil matters, wills, employment, and bankruptcy.
Who they help: Low-income individuals and families in Tarrant County who meet income eligibility requirements.
Contact: Phone (Fort Worth office): (817) 336-3943 or toll-free (888) 529-5277. Website: legalaidtx.org.
SafeHaven of Tarrant County (The Archway)
What they do: The only state-designated family violence center in Tarrant County. Provides emergency shelter, legal advocacy, protective order assistance, safety planning, counseling, and court support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Who they help: Survivors of domestic violence and family violence in Tarrant County.
24/7 Hotline: (877) 701-7233. Website: thearchway.org.
Texas A&M University School of Law Clinics
What they do: Provides free legal assistance to low-income Tarrant County residents through supervised law student clinics covering family law, estate planning, entity formation, tax disputes with the IRS, and civil rights matters.
Contact: Phone: (817) 212-4123. Website: law.tamu.edu/legal-assistance.
Tarrant County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service
What they do: Connects Tarrant County residents with private attorneys for low-cost 30-minute consultations across all civil practice areas. Also operates a free LegalLine service on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month for brief legal questions by phone.
Contact: Phone (referral service): (817) 336-4101. Website: tarrantbar.org.
Common Civil-Legal Issues Covered in Fort Worth
- Eviction defense and unsafe housing conditions
- Landlord retaliation and habitability problems
- Domestic violence and protection orders
- Custody, visitation, and child support issues
- Debt collection, repossessions, and garnishment
- Public-benefits denials (SNAP, Medicaid, SSI/SSDI)
- Foreclosure prevention and homeowner assistance
- Immigration-related civil help
- Record sealing and expungement
- Elder law and financial exploitation prevention
- Bankruptcy and consumer issues
- Veterans benefits and disability appeals
What Fort Worth Legal Aid Usually Cannot Handle
- Criminal defense cases
- Traffic violations
- Personal injury or malpractice lawsuits
- Business or commercial disputes
- Immigration removal (deportation) defense
- High-asset or heavily contested divorce cases
When Fort Worth Residents Should Seek Help Immediately
- You receive an eviction notice: Act quickly, eviction cases move fast in Tarrant County Justice of the Peace courts.
- You experience domestic or sexual violence: Call SafeHaven of Tarrant County at (877) 701-7233 immediately for emergency shelter, legal advocacy, and safety planning.
- You receive garnishment or debt-collection paperwork: Deadlines are strict, save all documents and contact LANWT immediately.
- Your landlord refuses urgent repairs: Document conditions with photos and written requests before taking further steps.
- Your public benefits were denied or cut: Appeals windows are short, contact LANWT as soon as you receive a denial notice.
- You are a veteran facing a civil legal issue: Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, Tarrant County Chapter offers free legal clinics on the third Friday of each month by appointment at (817) 546-4460.
How to Prepare Before Contacting Legal Aid
- Gather documents: leases, eviction notices, court papers, photos of housing conditions, debt collection letters, benefit denial letters, ID, pay stubs, and any disability or veterans documentation.
- Create a timeline: note key dates, notices received, repair requests, payments missed, and upcoming court or hearing dates.
- Prepare financial information: household size, monthly income, expenses, and current benefits, eligibility screening requires this.
- Write a brief issue summary: 2-3 sentences describing what happened and what help you need.
- Note urgent factors: upcoming court dates, eviction deadlines, risk of homelessness, violence, disability, or pending benefit cutoffs.
Alternatives If You Don't Qualify for Free Legal Aid
- Tarrant County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service: low-cost consultations with private attorneys at (817) 336-4101.
- TexasLawHelp.org (statewide): free legal forms, plain-English guides, and a live chat feature for civil issues.
- Texas Free Legal Answers (online clinic): submit a civil legal question at texas.freelegalanswers.org and receive a response from a volunteer attorney.
- LegalClarity document upload: receive a plain-English explanation of your legal documents (informational only).
Conclusion: Where Fort Worth Residents Should Start
If you need civil legal help in Fort Worth and cannot afford a private attorney, call Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas at (817) 336-3943. For domestic violence emergencies, call SafeHaven of Tarrant County at (877) 701-7233 right away. If you don't qualify for free services, contact the Tarrant County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at (817) 336-4101, or visit TexasLawHelp.org for self-help tools. You can also upload your documents to LegalClarity for a plain-English explanation, informational only, not legal advice.