All for the Family Legal Clinic provides legal services to low-income individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their areas of service include: domestic violence restraining orders, child custody and support, divorce, civil harassment orders, and more. They charge on a sliding scale based on income and family size; costs are generally between $50 and $150 per hour. To schedule an initial consultation, which has a fee, complete the inquiry form on their website. Serving Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco counties.
Legal Assistance
Included in this list are organizations that provide free or low-cost legal services to victims of abuse and others who qualify. Even if the organization does not have a lawyer available to represent you in court, you may want to ask if there is a lawyer who you can consult with to get advice. Please note that we list the organizations by the town/city or county where the office is located – however, many offices may likely serve multiple counties. We indicate the “counties served” whenever possible. You can click the blue “View All” button to look through the complete list of organizations.
Alameda
All for the Family Legal Clinic, Inc.
Alameda County Family Justice Center
The Alameda County Family Justice Center (ACFJC) is a one-stop community support center for individuals and families experiencing domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and exploitation, child abuse, child abduction, elder and dependent abuse, and human trafficking. The center has 30 onsite (and over 50 offsite) agencies and programs. A Client Navigator will link clients to the appropriate agencies or give outside referrals, based on the each client’s needs. Services include: assistance with restraining orders and victims compensation, legal advice clinic, counseling, case management, and more. All services at ACFJC are free of charge and are available by phone and in person, with no appointment required.
Bay Area Legal Aid - Oakland Office
Bay Area Legal Aid offers a Legal Advice Line to qualified low-income residents living in the Bay Area, where attorneys provide advice and information in all languages on a range of civil legal issues. Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault need to be referred to their dedicated legal advice line by a local domestic violence or sexual assault agency, police department, or court. The Domestic Violence Prevention project helps survivors with: temporary restraining orders, divorce, separation, annulment, child support, custody/visitation orders, battered spouse waivers, VAWA enforcement, immigration issues faced by survivors, and community education. Check their website for the schedule of legal clinics on restraining orders. This location serves Alameda County.
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. – Oakland Office
California Rural Legal Assistance provides free civil legal services through its 17 offices to low-income residents of the state’s rural counties. Their focus is on the legal areas of employment and labor, housing, education, rural health, and leadership development. In addition, they have special advocacy programs for: Indigenous Latin American communities, LGBTQ+, agricultural workers, fair housing, and environmental justice.
East Bay Community Law Center
The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) provides legal services responsive to the legal and social service needs of low-income Latinx and Indigenous communities, and communities of color. EBCLC has legal experts in housing, health, immigration, education, community education empowerment, organizing, and social work case management. Their immigration program provide representation and advice for issues such as: T visas for survivors of trafficking, U visas for survivors of crime, DACA, naturalization, and more. Serving Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Family Violence Appellate Project
Family Violence Appellate Project (FVAP) is dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors and their children to appeal court decisions on their behalf, for free. They focus on cases where family court or civil court decisions leave survivors and their children at serious risk of further abuse. FVAP serves everyone regardless of immigration status. Interpretation and translation services are available, including interpretation services for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. Serving the state of California
Family Violence Law Center
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) offers complete services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alameda County. Services include: assistance with restraining orders, child custody and visitation filing, child support requests, legal information, court accompaniment, attorney representation, and more. All of FVLC’s services are available free of charge.