Apply for Legal Services

MLSA provides legal services to people experiencing civil (non-criminal) legal problems in Montana. This includes issues like divorce, domestic violence, eviction, issues with public benefits, debt, and more. We do not provide assistance in criminal cases, traffic violations, or personal injury lawsuits.

MLSA generally only provides services to people who are considered low or moderate income. However, MLSA considers many factors when determining someone's income level and eligibility, including the person's age, if they are experiencing domestic abuse, or if they are the victim of a crime. The easiest way to find out if you are eligible for MLSA's services is to fill out our application. 

On our online application, MLSA will ask you questions about your household income, assets, citizenship status, and information about your legal problem to determine if you are eligible to receive services. We keep all of your information confidential.

After MLSA gets your online application, someone will call you to complete your intake. We block our calls to protect your privacy, so expect a call from a blocked or restricted number within 3-5 business days after you complete the online application. If you have an urgent deadline, please note it on your application and try calling us back if you do not hear from us in one business day.

An intake specialist will walk you through a series of questions to determine if we have services available to help you. The intake call can take between 30-45 minutes. We keep all of your information confidential.

When calling our HelpLine, you may not be able to get through right away due to high call volume. We encourage you to keep trying. You can also fill out the online application form and our intake specialists will call you. If you have an urgent deadline, please note it on your application and try calling us back if you do not hear from us in one business day.

If you need to mail or fax a paper application, please download the paper application here. Mail it to 616 Helena Ave, Suite 100, Helena, MT 59601 or Fax to 406-442-9817.

You can also visit one of our offices located in Billings, Helena, and Missoula. You can find the addresses at https://www.mtlsa.org/resource-map/.

MLSA only provides legal assistance to individuals facing civil (non-criminal) legal problems. Depending on your situation, our intake specialist may send you free self-help resources, set you up with an advice appointment, connect you with a pro bono attorney, or refer you to community resources.  Because MLSA has limited resources, not all applicants will be able to receive full representation by an attorney. 

AskKarla is a project of the Montana Legal Services Association. Montanans can ask simple legal questions and receive legal advice through email from volunteer pro bono attorneys.

Submitting an application does not guarantee MLSA will be able to take your case. Nothing on this page, or in links provided on this page, constitutes legal advice or the practice of law. Nor does viewing this page form an attorney/client relationship between you and Montana Legal Services Association. All visitors should consult with a qualified legal professional regarding their individual questions, needs, or issues that may be of concern. Before hiring any attorney, you should investigate the attorney's reputation and qualifications. We are not responsible for any action taken by a reader based upon any information on this site. All of the content on this site is for general informational and educational purposes only.