Legal Help in Dallas and Dallas County

In Dallas County, small claims and evictions go to ten justice courts, court-referred mediation can go to a county center that, to date, charges no fee, and the public law library is downtown on Commerce Street. The City of Dallas reaches beyond that one county, though. A City of Dallas bond official statement dated October 20, 2020 describes Dallas as "a political subdivision located in Dallas, Denton, Collin, Rockwall and Kaufman Counties," and the Dallas County, Collin County and Denton County city lists all include Dallas.

This page covers Dallas County. For an address in the Collin or Denton County parts of the city, the county offices are on our Plano (Collin County) and Denton County pages; every city guide is listed on the North Texas hub.

Ten justice courts in five precincts

Dallas County's justice courts are organized as five precincts with two places each, from JP 1-1 through JP 5-2. The county notes that "Justice of the Peace districts and the Constable precincts are the same." The courts, as the county lists them:

JP 4-2 also holds a night court from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Six of the ten courts have Dallas street addresses, but the county does not publish a list tying neighborhoods or cities to districts. Its tool is a map: the "Locate your Justice of the Peace district" finder, linked from the county's justice court page.

Filing a small claim or an eviction

Each Dallas County justice court keeps its own pages. JP 3-1, with detailed civil pages, serves as the model here. Its small claims page links the forms a self-represented filer would look for, including a "Small Claims Petition for Filing" and a "Statement of Inability." The same court covers debt claims, evictions, and repair and remedy cases.

For electronic filing, JP 3-1 says "You will need to register for an eFile Texas account in order to electronically file," and its rules require PDF documents and electronic filing for any bulk batch of five or more cases. Technical support comes from Tyler Technologies at 800-297-5377.

The fee schedule below is JP 3-1's own, effective January 1, 2026. We did not check the other nine courts' schedules, which may differ.

The schedule adds that debt claims, small claims and evictions "require a $80.00 service fee for each additional Defendant." Our guides to small claims, evictions and debt collection explain what happens after a case is filed.

Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center

The Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center (DCDRC) sits within the county's Alternative Dispute Resolution office. Commissioners Court Order #2011-1938 created it on November 8, 2011, and it began taking cases on January 3, 2012. It is not a walk-in program: cases arrive only by referral from the county's civil district, family district, county court at law, probate and justice courts, and the county limits referrals to parties who truly cannot pay for mediation.

On cost, the center's FAQ states that the program has carried no fee so far, because its qualified mediators donate their time on a pro bono basis. Once a court refers a case, the FAQ asks the parties to "contact our offices within seven days to get an appointment scheduled." The office is in the George Allen Sr. Courts Building, 600 Commerce Street, 6th Floor, Suite 681-D, Dallas 75202, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone 214-653-7897 (the number on its Contact Us page; other county pages list different numbers). A statewide directory of mediation centers from the Texas Judicial Branch gives the same Commerce Street address and number. We found no City of Dallas neighbor mediation program. Our guides to how mediation works and family mediation explain the process.

Dallas County Law Library

The Dallas County Law Library occupies Suite B40 at 600 Commerce Street, Dallas 75202, in the same courts building. It is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at (214) 653-7481 or LawLibrary@dallascounty.org, and says "We are open to the general public." Research computers are limited to one 60-minute session per person per day, and the copiers shut down at 4:15 p.m.

Legal aid, law school clinics and the Dallas Bar referral service

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas has its Dallas office at 1515 Main St., Dallas 75201 (214-748-1234), serving Dallas County. You can also apply by calling the Legal Aid Line, 888-529-5277. Requirements include a low income and a civil legal problem, not a criminal or personal injury case; the full eligibility list appears on our help directory.

Two Dallas law schools run clinics. At UNT Dallas, the College of Law's Community Lawyering Center offers free help to eligible residents, with supervised students taking matters such as evictions, family law and wills, at 4716 Elsie Faye Heggins Street (469-351-0024) and 511 North Akard, Suite 102 (214-855-7892). SMU Dedman School of Law's Civil/Consumer Clinic, which handles tenant and consumer matters for low-income clients in the Dallas area, as of October 3, 2026, says it has "reached our caseload capacity."

The Dallas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service is certified by the State of Texas ("Certificate #9301") and appears on the State Bar certified list at (214) 220-7444. Its page says: "For a $20 fee, the attorney will provide a 30-minute consultation to discuss your legal matter," with any further fee negotiated between you and the lawyer. It refers to Dallas area attorneys, including Plano and Collin County. The bar also sponsors LegalLine, which it describes as "a free service" answering legal questions by phone. For guides beyond Dallas County, browse the North Texas disputes and settlements guides.

Where to start in Dallas

• After a crash: the settlements hub, car accident claims and uninsured motorist coverage. TxDOT's 2025 county table, built from reports processed as of April 7, 2026, records 43,946 crashes and 274 deaths in Dallas County.
• Unpaid money or a broken agreement: the disputes hub and demand letters.
• Tenant or job problems: the rights hub, security deposits and unpaid wages.
• Other free and low-cost services: find help.

• Fort WorthTarrant County
• ArlingtonTarrant County
• DentonDenton County
• PlanoCollin County
• All six countiesFree and low-cost help

Sources

1. Dallas County, Justice of the Peace and Justice Courts
2. Dallas County JP 3-1, Filing Fee Information
3. Dallas County, Alternative Dispute Resolution
4. Dallas County Law Library
5. City of Dallas, Official Statement dated October 20, 2020
6. Texas Judicial Branch, 2025 Dispute Resolution Centers directory (Dallas County Dispute Resolution Center)
7. Collin County, Cities and Towns
8. Denton County, Cities and Communities
9. State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral Services
10. TxDOT, Crashes and Injuries by County 2025