Bay Area Legal Services provides free civil legal help to eligible residents of our five-county service area. We generally assist only applicants who have limited income and assets, and who are permanent legal residents of the United States. However, eligibility exceptions may apply to seniors, domestic violence victims, and certain other qualified applicants.
We provide free interpreters for applicants and clients who do not speak English or have a hearing impairment.

How to Apply
BALS schedules all applicants through our Legal Aid Line, except those applying for help with filing a domestic violence injunction

To find out if you qualify for free civil legal services and to schedule an appointment, call our Legal Aid Line:
813.232.1343 (Hillsborough County residents)
1.800.625.2257 (Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties)

Our Services
The type of services we provide depends on your legal problem and our resources. Our priority areas include:
Help with Family Law Issues
Help with Domestic Violence
Help with Basic Needs
Help for Seniors
Advance Planning for Incapacity
Special Programs
South County Access to Justice Program (Espaol)
L. David Shear Childrens Law Center
Judge Don Castor Community Law Center
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
Fair Housing Initiatives Program

Mission Statement: Bay Area Legal Services is a nonprofit law firm of skilled, professional attorneys whose objective is helping the most vulnerable members of our community. Our track record of legal success is enhanced by a culture of caring for the people we serve. We protect foster kids from abuse, give veterans access to mental and physical health benefits, protect seniors from scam artists and abusive family members, and ensure domestic violence victims have the legal protections they need to flee their abusers. Our clients do not have the income to hire private attorneys. In this complicated world of legalese, we make things simple: our attorneys provide hope, support, comfort and knowledge-based representation to those most in need. Big picture- our work contributes to the economic improvement of our community by achieving monetary gains for our clients, avoiding costly actions such as foreclosures, and helping the Florida court system function more efficiently.