Site Help

Getting the Most out of this Website

What Is AlaskaLawHelp.org?

AlaskaLawHelp.org provides answers to legal questions, contact information for legal aid offices, links to courthouses and local community organizations.

If you have access to a printer, it may be helpful to print a copy of this page so you can refer to it as you go.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I find Legal Help?
• How do I find legal information?
• How do I use the "Search" feature?
• Type of Help
• Income guidelines
• Can I get help if my income is larger than the guidelines?
• Special Groups

How do I find Legal Help?

If you are looking for free or low-cost legal services, start by clicking " Find Legal Help" on the blue bar that runs across the top of each page. This will take you to a "Search" page, which will ask you a couple of basic questions:

• Where do you live? To answer this question, enter your zip code or choose a county from the "drop-down" menu.
• What type of legal problem do you have? To answer this question, first select a topic from the drop-down menu on the left. This will make a list of "sub-topics" appear on the right. For example, you could choose "Family Law" from the menu on the left, and then choose a sub-topic such as "child support," "divorce," or "domestic violence" from the menu on the right.

Below those questions, you will also see a list of phrases such as "under 21," or "a person with disabilities," or "homeless." If you see a phrase that describes you, click on the box next to it. If not, just click the button whenever you are ready.

This will bring up a list of legal aid offices and community organizations that provide the services you need to clients in your county. Click on any name in the list for information about how to contact them.

How do I find legal information?

This website is meant to make it easy to find general legal information. When you first get to the Homepage, you will see columns full of legal topics, like "Consumer," and "Disability." 

When you find the topic that best describes your legal problem, click on it. This will bring you to a list of "sub-topics" that should describe your legal problem more closely. So, for example, if you are being evicted from an apartment, you would start by:

• Clicking on the "Housing" topic, then
• Clicking on the word "Eviction" in the sub-topics section.

This will bring you to a list of printable resources and websites. Click on any of the titles for information about your rights.

How do I use the "Search" feature?

You can also find information by using a "Search." The search feature is located in the light blue box at the upper right hand side of the Homepage. To use the search, just type in a few words to describe the information you need, and click on the button.

This will bring up a few articles related to your search. If you don't get any results, try again with less specific terms, and double-check to make sure all the words are spelled correctly. It also helps to use all lowercase letters (ex: "divorce" instead of "Divorce") and to avoid using any punctuation. For more tips on searching, click here.

Type of Help

There are several different ways in which an organization can provide help:

• Full Representation - by a lawyer or a legal advocate in court or at a hearing at a government agency.
• Brief Advice - in person or over the telephone.
• Legal Clinic - where you can briefly talk to an attorney about your legal problem.
• Pro Se Clinics - where you are shown how you can "help yourself" with a particular legal problem.
• Self-Help - educational materials such as factsheets and brochures.
• Other - workshops, referrals to private attorneys, and other services.

Note: Not all organizations provide all the services listed.

Income guidelines

Some organizationscannot serve people with incomes higher than their guidelines. AlaskaLawHelp.org does not guarantee assistance from an organization even if you meet its income guidelines.

Many legal aid organizations use percentages of the Federal Poverty Guidelines to decide who can receive help. Assets also affect eligibility for services and are determined on a case by case basis by each legal services program.

Some organizations may make exceptions for seniors or people experiencing domestic violence. Also, some organizations take into account expenses such as childcare, medical bills and debts.

Special Groups

Some organizations/projects only serve special groups such as:

• Children
• Seniors
• Persons with disabilities
• People experiencing domestic violence