• There are multiple assistance programs to which you can turn for family law help.man and woman divorced image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com
  
  When personal family issues become entwined with the legal system, many people need somewhere to turn for family law assistance. Family law is an area of civil law which, unlike criminal law, does not guarantee the parties an attorney. Fortunately, the legal community has recognized the need to assist those who need help by creating various family law assistance programs.
  
  

Neighborhood Legal Services

• Neighborhood Legal Services offices are public service organizations that offer free civil law help to lower income and indigent parties. Most Neighborhood Legal Services offices are located in and around metropolitan areas, and provide help for a range of family law issues. In general, most Neighborhood Legal Services offices provide assistance for divorce, child support, spousal support, custody, protection from abuse orders and paternity questions. Contact information for Neighborhood Legal Service offices is found on the local office's website.
  
  

The Legal Aid Society

• Legal Aid Society offices, like those of Neighborhood Legal Services, provide free legal help for lower income parties in civil law cases. In some places, such as in Pennsylvania, the Legal Aid Society may be partially funded by the state government. Legal Aid Society offices have attorneys on staff who represent clients, and, in some cases, private attorneys will offer to represent clients pro bono through the Legal Aid Society. Legal Aid Society offices represent clients in the following family law matters: domestic violence, divorce, custody, child support, spousal support and division of marital property. Further information regarding a local Legal Aid Society is obtainable on its website.
  
  

Law School Clinics

• Most law schools offer clinics for students to gain practical experience to enrich their legal education while in law school. Law school family law clinical programs allow law students, under the supervision of an attorney, to assist lower income parties draft motions and, in some cases, present the motions orally in court. Typically, the law school clinics assist clients with child support, custody and divorce cases. Information regarding a law school clinical program, in most cases, is found on the law school's website or can be obtained by calling the law school's clinical education department.