Where to Find Free Legal Help in North Texas

Fact-checked against primary sources October 3, 2026

Each entry below was checked against the organization's own website, and referral services against the State Bar of Texas certified list. Eligibility is quoted as each organization words it. Where a site could not be reached or a detail was not published, the entry says so.

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas: who qualifies

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas provides free civil legal help and has an office serving each county below. Its eligibility page says legal aid is available for individuals, families and groups who:

"Have a low income"
"Are dealing with a civil law matter (we cannot help with criminal issues or personal injury cases)"
"Are legal U.S. citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (undocumented immigrants may be eligible for help in obtaining a U Visa or T Visa or if they qualify under VAWA)"
"Live in or have a case matter in a county we serve"

It adds that you likely qualify if you take part in SNAP, Medicaid, public or subsidized housing, SSI or WIC.

Applications go through the Legal Aid Line (888-529-5277), an online form or the nearest office. The organization suggests calling the local office directly when a matter has a deadline, when you have been served with a lawsuit, or when it involves divorce, custody, child support, visitation or family violence.

Tarrant County

Legal aid: the Fort Worth office, 600 East Weatherford St., Fort Worth, TX 76102, 817-336-3943.
County dispute resolution: Tarrant County Dispute Resolution, a county department, mediates consumer, contract, family, employment, rental, neighbor and property damage matters. Justice court cases cost $60 per party and community mediations outside court cost $30 per party, each with "No eligibility restrictions for the program." District Court, County Court at Law civil, family and probate cases cost "$120 per party for four hours (half day)" and "$30 per party per hour thereafter (maximum of four additional hours)," limited to "a family income of $110,000 or less; individual income of $60,000 or less; or under financial hardship." When a District Court family or civil case involves an indigent participant or one with financial hardship, the department pays that person's mediator fees. Phone 817-884-2257.
Certified lawyer referral: the Tarrant County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, on the State Bar list, says it has run since 1992 and is the only certified referral service in the county. No eligibility rule is stated, and its consultation fee could not be confirmed.
Law library: the Dell DeHay Law Library of Tarrant County, 100 W. Weatherford, Room 420, Fort Worth, open to the public Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its public databases are free to search, and printing costs 25 cents a page. Staff cannot give legal advice.
Law school clinic: Texas A&M Legal Clinics in Fort Worth offer community members free help, which the school calls "a limited range of legal services." Clinics listed as accepting clients include Criminal Defense, Entrepreneurship, the Foster Youth Program, Tax Dispute Resolution, Patent and Trademark & Copyright. Staff may ask about income, and "Specific eligibility requirements for each clinic vary."

Dallas County

Legal aid: the Dallas office, 1515 Main St., Dallas, TX 75201, 214-748-1234.
County dispute resolution: the Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center takes cases referred by the county's courts: "Only cases in which the parties truly cannot afford mediation services will be referred to this program by the Courts." Its FAQ states: "To date, there is no fee associated with this program." Office: 600 Commerce Street, Suite 681-D, Dallas, 214-653-7897. It is also listed in the state's 2025 directory of dispute resolution centers.
Certified lawyer referral: the Dallas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service charges "a $20 fee" for a 30-minute consultation with a Dallas area attorney. No income rule is stated.
Law library: the Dallas County Law Library, at 600 Commerce Street, Suite B40 (the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building), is open to the general public Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., (214) 653-7481.
Law school clinics: the Community Lawyering Center at UNT Dallas College of Law offers free help with matters such as housing, family law, immigration and probate to "Eligible residents in the community," and says the way to find out is to call. SMU Dedman School of Law Legal Clinics serve "individuals who cannot otherwise afford to retain private counsel." Its Civil/Consumer Clinic currently says it has "reached our caseload capacity."

Denton County

Legal aid: the Denton office, 2220 San Jacinto Blvd., Ste. 205, Denton, 940-383-1406.
County dispute resolution: the county's Online Resolution Center handles justice court cases a judge assigns to mediation, at no added cost to the parties. DCAP, a county ADR program tied to the Denton County Bar Association, appears only in the state's 2025 directory (1504 E McKinney Street, Denton, (940) 320-1500). Its services and cost could not be found or verified.
Certified lawyer referral: none. The Denton County Bar Association is not on the State Bar's certified list.
Law library: the Denton County Law Library, 121 N Woodrow Lane, Suite 160, Denton, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Public research computers are available; staff do not give legal advice.

Collin County

Legal aid: the McKinney office, 901 North McDonald St., Ste. 702, McKinney, 972-542-9405.
County dispute resolution: CCAP, the Collin County ADR program, mediates only court-ordered cases, according to CCAP's own site. Fees follow "the levels indicated on the order," with sliding scale options for income-qualified people. Contact (214) 617-2394.
Certified lawyer referral: no Collin County service is on the State Bar list. The Dallas Bar Association's service says its referrals include "Plano and Collin County."
Law library: the Curt B. Henderson Law Library, 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Staff cannot give legal advice.

Parker County

Legal aid: the Weatherford office, 100 Austin Ave., Ste. 201, Weatherford, 817-594-6332. The Fort Worth office also lists Parker County.
County dispute resolution: no county program was found, and the state directory lists no center for Parker County. The county posts a list of mediators for the 43rd District Court.
Law library: no Parker County law library page was found.
Law school clinic: the Texas A&M Foster Youth Program, which serves current and former foster youth aged 14 to 26, lists Parker among the counties it serves.

Johnson County

Johnson County's website could not be reached when this directory was compiled, so no county court, library or mediation program is listed. Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas lists Johnson County under both its Fort Worth and Weatherford offices, and the Texas A&M Foster Youth Program, for current and former foster youth from 14 to 26, lists it too.

State agencies that take complaints

Texas Workforce Commission: wage claims under the Texas Payday Law, filed online or on paper "within 180 days from the original date the wages were supposed to be paid." See unpaid wages.
Texas Department of Insurance: complaints against insurance companies, agents and adjusters. Help Line 800-252-3439.
Texas Attorney General: consumer complaints about "false, misleading, or deceptive business practices." The office warns that complaints are open to the public and that it "cannot give you legal advice."
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: complaints about credit cards, debt collection, mortgages, credit reports and other financial products, sent to the company for a response.

Mediators

Paid mediator listings will appear here, in alphabetical order and labelled as advertising. A listing is not a recommendation.

The county programs above offer mediation without a paid listing. The mediation guide and small claims guide explain the process, the city pages in North Texas cover local courts, and the rest of North Texas disputes and settlements guides starts from the homepage.