Lawyer Referral/Do I need a lawyer?

If you can afford a lawyer, a lawyer referral service can help you find a lawyer who has experience immigration law. Your local domestic violence program might also know the name of a few good lawyers in your area. For a list of lawyer referral services and shelters in your state, visit [INSERT WHERE TO FIND HELP LINK].

If you can’t afford one, you may be able to get help from Catholic Charities, which provides free or low-cost immigration assistance in many areas. They help people regardless of whether or not they’re Catholic. To find a list of main Catholic Charities offices (which can help you direct you to an immigration program in your area), visit [FIX THIS LINK FOR YOUR STATE!] www.catholiccharitiesinfo.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=292.

In some areas, legal aid offices also provide free or low-cost legal help in VAWA cases. To find a legal aid office in your area that handles VAWA cases, visit [INSERT LAWHELP.ORG SITE]. [DESCRIBE LAWHELP.ORG PATHWAY FOR YOUR STATE – click on the icon marked “immigration”. then click on the link marked “immigration and domestic violence”. this will bring you to a page where you have to enter in your location.] Do that, and you’ll be taken to a list of legal service providers who handle VAWA cases in your area. Shelters and other domestic violence organizations may also be able to provide you with help in finding low-cost attorneys. They can also give you support and help throughout the process and help you figure out some of the non-legal questions you’re facing, like the best way for you to stay as safe as possible. For a list of domestic violence organizations in your state, visit [INSERT STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS PAGE]. You may also want to try any law schools in your area because sometimes they have legal clinics and can take cases for free. For a list of law schools in your state, visit [SEARCH ALLLAW.COM & LINK TO WHERE THEY LIST THE LAW SCHOOLS IN HER STATE].