Free legal help for veterans

Match the problem to the door

Most wasted time comes from calling the wrong place. Sort your problem first.

• VA claimA VA-accredited VSO representative helps with VA claims at no charge. VA says so on its own page.
• Court appealLost at the Board of Veterans' Appeals and want to go to the Court? The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program.
• Military recordsDischarge upgrade, medical retirement, CRSC or TSGLI? Lawyers Serving Warriors.
• Everyday civilHousing, debt, family, consumer? Local civil legal aid, if you meet the income and case-type rules.
• Not sureStateside Legal and VA's clinic list can help you find the right door.

Free claims help: VSO representatives

VA accredits three kinds of people to help with claims: VSO representatives, attorneys and claims agents. VA says VSO representatives always help on benefit claims for free. VA also says attorneys and claims agents can charge fees.

VA does not assign you a representative. You pick one, contact them, and you both sign the appointment form. VA's Office of General Counsel runs a search tool for accredited people. Use it to confirm someone is accredited before you hand over anything.

A fee for an attorney or agent is generally allowed only after VA has issued an initial decision, and it must be reasonable. For the fee rules and the claim-shark warnings, read Veteran scams and claim sharks. For decision reviews, read Appeal a VA decision.

VA legal clinics and the clinic list

VA's legal services page says many legal providers run free clinics inside VA facilities. VA posts a directory of Medical Legal Partnerships and VA-affiliated legal clinics. The edition I opened was dated March 2026. It is grouped by state and shows the facility, the provider, the case types, whether it is walk-in or appointment, and a VA contact.

VA's page also says VA does not endorse the organizations. A Veterans Justice Outreach specialist at your nearest VA medical center may know local clinics. If your legal trouble involves a court case, see Veterans treatment courts and justice outreach.

Legal aid for money, housing and family problems

The Legal Services Corporation funds local civil legal aid programs. Its rules cap income for the people they serve. The federal rule says a funded program's income ceiling may not exceed 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Programs also set asset limits, and they can leave out things like your main home and the car you use for transportation. Programs may have exceptions, so ask.

Each program also chooses which case types it takes. So a screening call usually covers three things: your income and assets, your case type, and your deadline.

• USA.gov's legal aid page points to LSC and to LawHelp.org. It notes that some programs limit services to people with low incomes.
• LawHelp.org says it connects people to nonprofit legal aid in every state and territory. It says to check each program's eligibility, since some serve only low-income people or certain case types.
• Bankruptcy, debt collection and garnishment have their own page: Bankruptcy, debt collection and garnishment.

Veteran-focused programs and what each takes

• LSWLawyers Serving Warriors (NVLSP). Free, for veterans and service members. It takes only four DOD matters: discharge upgrades, medical retirement, CRSC and TSGLI. It says it does not take VA claims, criminal law, family law or anything else, and it is not a referral service. You apply online. If you need help applying, NVLSP lists 202-265-8305, option 5. See also Discharge upgrade and CRSC.
• TVCThe Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program. Free attorneys for Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims appeals, for veterans and qualifying family members. You need a final Board decision and no current lawyer. The program has to find at least one strong issue to argue. Its site says the appeal clock is 120 days from the Board decision's mailing date and the Court usually cannot extend it. Appeals line: 888-838-7727. It also runs a discharge upgrade program and virtual clinics.
• StatesideStatesideLegal.org. Created with LSC funding. It gives plain-English legal information for veterans, service members and families, and helps you find legal advice. It is information, not a lawyer. I confirmed its original purpose, not what it offers today, so check the site.

Installation legal assistance: veteran status is not enough

Military installation legal assistance comes from a federal statute. It covers active-duty members, people entitled to retired or retainer pay, certain reservists after long mobilizations, and their dependents and some survivors. It does not cover veterans in general.

So a retiree can usually look to an installation legal office. A veteran who separated without retired pay generally cannot. Each office has its own services and rules. One Military OneSource installation page I read lists wills, powers of attorney, leases and similar help, by appointment only. That is one base, not a rule for all. Call the legal office and ask if they serve you.

If your needs are a will, power of attorney or advance directive, see Wills, powers of attorney and advance directives. For retirees, see Retiree benefits.

How to ask, and how to protect your deadline

My practical suggestion, not a rule: bring a one-page summary to every call.

1. Your name, branch, service dates, discharge type, and the best phone number and email.
2. The problem in two or three sentences, and what you want to happen.
3. The deadline, with the date on the letter or notice and who sent it.
4. Your household income and big assets, since most programs ask.
5. A list of the papers you have: decision letters, notices, court papers, DD-214. See Get your DD-214 and military records.
6. The names of the other lawyers or reps you have already tried.

If no group takes you, a state bar or local lawyer referral service is another place to ask. I did not verify a specific one for this page, so check your own state bar's website.

What I could not verify

• I could not open LSC's own find-a-program page, so I rely on the federal rule and USA.gov for how LSC aid screens. Check your local program for exact income limits.
• I did not verify any state bar or lawyer referral service. Each state runs its own.
• I did not verify the Military OneSource legal assistance page that covers all bases. I read the statute and one installation page. Each installation sets its own services.
• The Veterans Consortium page I read does not list income or asset limits for its free help. Ask them.
• Phone numbers and online application links change. Confirm them on the official site before you call.
• Funding can run short at these programs. Whether any of them has a wait list right now, I do not know.
• Stateside Legal today. I confirmed why it was created, from an LSC announcement. I did not open its own site, so I cannot tell you what it offers now.