Free and Reduced-Fee Legal Services in Maryland

If your income is low or you are a senior citizen, you may be eligible for free or reduced-fee legal services in Maryland. For more information, contact the organizations listed below:

The Legal Aid Bureau
500 East Lexington Street
Baltimore , MD 21202
www.mdlab.org
main: 410-951-7777 or 1-800-999-8904
seniors' helpline: 1-800-896-4213

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service
16 South Calvert Street
Suite 700
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
410-547-6537
1-800-510-0050
www.mvlslaw.org

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service is a non-profit organization that refers low-income clients with legal problems to private attorneys, who agree to handle the cases pro bono (for free). All requests for service must be made by telephone during intake hours. MVLS phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to Noon. 

Maryland State Bar Association
520 W. Fayette St
Baltimore , MD 21201      
410-685-7878
1-800-492-1964
www.msba.org

The Maryland State Bar Association has links to county bar association referral services. Most county bar associations have a lawyer referral service that can help you find an attorney.  Most of the referral services administered by the county bar associations offer a half-hour initial telephone or in-person consultation with a lawyer for a modest fee, usually under $50.

Some of the referral services offer “reduced-fee panels” for those with low to moderate incomes.  Attorneys who participate in the reduced fee panel agree to charge less than their usual rate for clients who are referred through the panel. Attorneys reduced rates do vary, because they are based on their usual hourly rates.

The Maryland People's Law Library has an extensive list of free/reduced fee legal services for all types of legal cases.