Houston Free Civil Legal Aid: Lone Star Legal Aid and HVL (2026-27)
Updated: 20 hours ago
Houston has two main front doors for free civil legal help: Lone Star Legal Aid and Houston Volunteer Lawyers. Here is how they compare, who qualifies and how to apply.
AT A GLANCE
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Houston has two main front doors for free help with non-criminal legal problems. One is Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA), a staffed legal aid office headquartered on Fannin Street downtown. The other is Houston Volunteer Lawyers (HVL), the pro bono arm of the Houston Bar Association, which matches low-income residents with volunteer attorneys. They use different income limits, take applications in different ways, and focus on different kinds of cases. Knowing which door to knock on first can save you days.
This guide compares the two, explains the income tests in dollars, walks through how to apply, lists what to gather, and covers what to do if you're turned down. Everything here comes from the LSLA and HVL websites and the HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, which we read directly in October 2026.
Side-by-Side: LSLA vs. HVL
Detail | Lone Star Legal Aid | Houston Volunteer Lawyers |
|---|---|---|
Who runs it | Nonprofit legal aid provider | Pro bono legal aid arm of the Houston Bar Association |
Area served | 72 counties in eastern and Gulf Coast Texas plus 4 in southwest Arkansas; Harris County through the Houston office | Harris County and surrounding areas |
General income limit | 125% of federal poverty guidelines (special projects may go higher) | At or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines, with limited assets |
How to apply | Online 24/7, or by phone | Online questionnaire at LegalHelpHouston.org |
Phone | 713-652-0077 local; 800-733-8394 toll free | 713-228-0735 |
Case types | Civil only; no criminal cases | Civil only; no criminal or traffic matters |
Income Limits in Dollars
Both groups tie eligibility to the federal poverty guidelines. LSLA says its general limit is 125% of the guidelines. HVL says household income must be at or below 200%. The table below applies those percentages to the HHS 2026 poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states. We did the math ourselves from the HHS figures, so treat it as a guide. Each organization screens you with the numbers it uses at the time.
Household size | 2026 HHS guideline | 125% (LSLA general limit) | 200% (HVL limit) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | $15,960 | $19,950 | $31,920 |
2 | $21,640 | $27,050 | $43,280 |
3 | $27,320 | $34,150 | $54,640 |
4 | $33,000 | $41,250 | $66,000 |
5 | $38,680 | $48,350 | $77,360 |
6 | $44,360 | $55,450 | $88,720 |
Two things to keep in mind:
LSLA can go above 125%. LSLA says that even if you earn more than 125% of the guidelines, it may still help if you qualify under one of its special projects.
HVL also looks at assets. To be eligible, HVL says you must live in Harris County, have household income at or below 200% of the guidelines, have limited assets, and have a civil legal matter. HVL adds that some exceptions apply.
LSLA also says all clients must meet legal status eligibility requirements, as well as financial ones.
In an eviction, LSLA warns that if you miss your trial, the landlord automatically wins.
Lone Star Legal Aid: What It Handles
LSLA lists these service areas and special projects:
Eviction Defense and Fair Housing
Foreclosure Prevention Project
Consumer law
Family Law and the Family Early Defense Network
Financial Assistance and Public Benefits
Employment and Education
Disaster Relief
Crime Victims Unit and the Legal Assistance to Survivors of Sexual Assault Project
Military and Veterans Unit
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic
Medical Legal Partnership and Legal Aid for Children's Health and Security
Civil Matters in Criminal Justice Project, Community Advocacy and Neighborhood Problems
Self-Help tools
On public benefits, LSLA says its advocates can help with TANF, SNAP, SSI, Social Security, County Indigent Healthcare, unemployment insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and discrimination in government programs.
LSLA is candid that this list is not a promise. It says it does not have the funding or staff to represent everyone who is eligible. It may turn down an application or limit help to advice or brief service.
LSLA's eviction help in Harris County
If you are facing eviction, LSLA runs an Eviction Right to Counsel Initiative as part of the Harris County Eviction Defense Coalition. LSLA says it helps people in all 16 Harris County Justice of the Peace courts and describes the program as "like a public defender's office." If you meet certain financial requirements, LSLA says it will do its best to represent you fully in eviction court, depending on available resources.
What LSLA tells tenants with a court date:
Don't wait. Call 361-35EVICT (361-353-8428) or text "APPLY" as soon as you can.
Come early. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your court time to see if LSLA staff can help you there.
Ask even if your court isn't listed. LSLA is regularly at certain courts, but says it supports people in all 16.
The coalition includes LSLA, Houston Volunteer Lawyers, South Texas College of Law Houston, the Earl Carl Institute at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and the University of Houston Law Center.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers: What It Handles
HVL says it specializes in family, housing, wills, veterans' issues, taxes, and other non-criminal matters. Its practice areas include:
Family law: divorce, custody and visitation, support, name change
Housing: private landlord/tenant matters including evictions, and homeownership and real property (not foreclosure)
Federal taxes: IRS collection matters, audits, and U.S. Tax Court litigation through its Low Income Taxpayer Clinic. HVL says the clinic does not generally prepare tax returns.
Guardianship and alternatives to guardianship
Estate planning and probate: wills, transfer on death deeds, estate administration
Consumer law: deceptive trade practices and debt collection laws
Veterans: discharge upgrades, disability compensation, VA pension, death benefits
Criminal record relief: expunctions and non-disclosures
HVL's site also says its Veterans Legal Initiative has served more than 22,000 low-income veterans since 2008. The Houston Bar Association's free LegalLine is now powered by HVL.
How to Apply: Step by Step
Lone Star Legal Aid
Apply online any time. LSLA says you can apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through its online application.
Or call. The Houston office serves Harris County. Call 713-652-0077 locally or 800-733-8394 toll free. LSLA says each office has a set time for non-emergency phone applications, and every call is confidential.
For an eviction with a court date, call 361-35EVICT or text "APPLY" right away.
Houston Volunteer Lawyers
Go to LegalHelpHouston.org and click "Start the Questionnaire." HVL's contact page says people who need legal help should use that site instead of the contact form.
Answer every question. HVL says your answers are confidential and the questionnaire sends you to the option best able to help.
Watch for a call. HVL says you may get a call to set an appointment with an attorney in the next open slot each Friday, or a staff attorney may call for more information. You might instead be given contact details for another agency.
HVL says it can find a volunteer attorney to take your case, schedule a free appointment with an attorney, give you self-help resources, or refer you elsewhere.
Before you call
Neither organization publishes a fixed document checklist online. But both screen on household income and the facts of your legal problem, so having these on hand will speed things up:
☐ Proof of household income for everyone in the household: pay stubs, benefit letters or a recent tax return.
☐ A rough list of assets, since HVL considers whether your assets are limited.
☐ Every paper about your case: court citations, notices to vacate, lease, letters from a landlord, creditor, agency or the IRS.
☐ Your court date and court name, if you have one. For eviction, LSLA lists all 16 Justice of the Peace courts on its Harris County page.
☐ A phone number you answer, since both groups may call you back.
If You're Turned Down
Try the other door. LSLA's general limit is 125% of the poverty guidelines; HVL's is 200%. A household over LSLA's general limit may still fit HVL's.
Ask about special projects. LSLA says people over 125% may still qualify through a special project.
Use self-help tools. LSLA has a self-help library, including tools that prepare court documents. HVL also offers self-help resources.
Accept a referral. HVL's questionnaire may point you to another agency better matched to your problem. That isn't a dead end.
Don't miss court. In an eviction, LSLA warns that if you miss your trial, the landlord automatically wins.
Key Contacts
Who | Contact |
|---|---|
Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston main office | 1415 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77002; 713-652-0077 or 800-733-8394 |
LSLA Eviction Right to Counsel | Call 361-35EVICT (361-353-8428) or text "APPLY" |
Houston Volunteer Lawyers | 1000 Louisiana St., Suite 3600, Houston, TX 77002; 713-228-0735; info@hvlp.org |
HVL online questionnaire | LegalHelpHouston.org |
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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More help in Houston
Find more local guides on rent, utilities, food, taxes and legal help at our Houston Financial Help Guides hub.
Related guides
Official sources
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Services, limits and phone numbers can change. Confirm with LSLA or HVL before you rely on any detail.
October 2026 (Lone Star Legal Aid and Houston Volunteer Lawyers websites)
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