Pro bono divorce help in Chicago and low-cost family law resources

What does pro bono mean, and who can get free legal help?

Pro bono usually means legal work a lawyer provides without charging the client. Legal aid organizations and volunteer programs may offer this help, but their eligibility rules differ, including income, location and case-type limits. Meeting a program's rules does not mean it will be able to take your case.

Legal Aid Chicago generally requires limited assets and income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. It has higher income limits for some groups, including survivors of domestic or sexual violence whose legal issues relate to that violence. Citizenship or immigration rules also apply, and victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and certain other crimes are among the groups that can qualify.

These programs are separate from Chicago Family Attorneys. The firm's Chicago family law practice page describes its private legal services.

Where can you find free or low-cost legal help for divorce or custody in Cook County?

Details were checked on the organizations' and courts' pages in September 2026; confirm them with each organization.

Which programs offer divorce and custody representation?

• Legal Aid Chicago focuses on family cases where personal safety or financial stability is at risk, including some custody and divorce cases, but not simple, uncontested divorce.
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services offers free individual civil help from volunteer attorneys, an online application and legal clinics.
• Greater Chicago Legal Clinic offers family-law representation, with no-cost services and income-based fees.

Where can I get family-law advice?

• CARPLS gives advice and referral information, not court representation.
• The CARPLS Domestic Relations Advice Desk at the Daley Center offers walk-ins and appointments for family-law advice, not court representation.
• Greater Chicago Legal Clinic's Parentage and Child Support Advice Desk is remote only, without court representation; call (312) 796-3070 and leave a message.
• Illinois Free Legal Answers offers online civil-question answers if you meet its income and other qualifications.

Where can I find self-help forms and legal aid resources?

• Chicago-Kent law students in Daley Center Room 602 help with online resources, legal aid applications and court forms, without legal advice or representation; hours vary.
• Illinois Court Help, listed on the Illinois courts' self-help page, has guides who help you understand the court process; call 833-411-1121 or visit ilcourthelp.gov. It cannot give legal advice.
• Outside Cook County, including DuPage, Lake and Will counties, Illinois Legal Aid Online's Get Legal Help tool is a place to start looking for providers that serve your county.

Can the court make your spouse help pay for your lawyer?

The court may order your spouse to help pay your attorney's fees. While a divorce is pending, if the court finds that you lack enough access to assets or income to pay reasonable fees and that your spouse is able to pay reasonable amounts, the law requires it to award interim fees in the amount it decides you need to take part adequately in the case. An interim award is treated as an advance from the marital estate unless the court orders otherwise at the end of the case, so it can be adjusted later.

If you need money for a first retainer, your petition must attach an affidavit from the lawyer you want to hire, stating that the lawyer has agreed to appear in the case if the court grants the request, and your certificate that you will use the money only to hire that lawyer. Any fees awarded for that retainer are paid directly to the lawyer (750 ILCS 5/501(c-1)(1.5)). At the end of the case, the court may also order a contribution to fees, based on the factors it uses to divide property and, if maintenance is awarded, the maintenance factors (750 ILCS 5/503(j)(2)).

Asking does not guarantee an award. The court must first make both findings, and it sets the amount. Ask a lawyer whether a fee request fits your situation before assuming you must fund everything alone. Read what a spouse may be entitled to in an Illinois divorce for broader context.

What if you cannot afford the court fees?

You can ask the court for a full or partial waiver of court fees (735 ILCS 5/5-105). Use the statewide Application for Waiver of Court Fees and the related order form, which the Illinois Supreme Court requires under Rule 298. If the court finds that you meet the income, public benefits or hardship standards in the law, it must grant a full or partial waiver; the partial waiver is 75, 50 or 25 percent depending on where your income falls between 125 and 200 percent of the poverty level (735 ILCS 5/5-105(b)). If a legal aid provider or an attorney in a court-sponsored pro bono program represents you, your lawyer files a certification instead, and the fees and costs for filing, appearing, transcripts on appeal and service of process are waived with no application from you (735 ILCS 5/5-105.5(b)). Other charges, such as fees for a court-required program like mediation or a guardian ad litem, are not covered automatically; ask your lawyer whether to also file the fee-waiver application.

A waiver may cover fees, costs and charges, including fees for serving papers and charges for court-required programs such as mediation. It addresses court expenses, not payment for a private lawyer. The Clerk must accept your papers for filing when you submit them with the application. A waiver order lasts one year, and you can apply again. Illinois Legal Aid Online has a free Easy Form that helps complete the application.

• Ask the Clerk where to obtain and submit the current approved forms.
• Read the application carefully and gather the financial information it requests.
• Keep a copy of your application and the court's decision.

What are the downsides of free or pro bono help?

The practical limits concern access and how much of your case a program can handle. Eligibility, intake and available capacity can affect whether you receive help. Before relying on a program, ask what work it can accept and what you would still need to do.

• Income, asset, location or case-type rules may exclude your case.
• You may need to wait for intake or an available appointment.
• Advice-only programs do not provide courtroom representation.
• Legal Aid Chicago does not handle simple, uncontested divorce.
• An organization may not be able to accept every eligible case.
• You may still need to prepare papers or handle other parts yourself.

What low-cost paid options exist?

You can ask a lawyer to help with a defined part of your case instead of the whole case. The limit must be reasonable for your situation, and you must give informed consent (Illinois Rule of Professional Conduct 1.2(c)). A lawyer who appears in court for only part of a case needs a written limited-scope agreement with you and must file a Notice of Limited Scope Appearance that names each part the lawyer will handle (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 13(c)(6)). A lawyer may also help you draft or review a court paper without appearing in the case; you then sign it as a self-represented party (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 137(e)).

Standardized divorce forms approved by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice can be downloaded from the Illinois courts website, and every Illinois court must accept them when they apply (Illinois Supreme Court Rule 10-101(c)). If you prepare papers yourself, ask about paying a lawyer to review them. Explore limited-scope family-law services and Cook County court forms and self-representation resources.

The Chicago Bar Association and Illinois State Bar Association offer lawyer referrals, not legal aid. Lawyers referred through the Chicago Bar Association may charge fees. The Illinois State Bar Association says its referral service does not provide free legal advice and its referred lawyers do not provide free services. For broader planning, read about expenses involved in an Illinois divorce.

How does Chicago Family Attorneys charge?

Chicago Family Attorneys is a private law firm. This guide is not an offer of free or discounted representation. The organizations listed above are separate resources, not firm programs.

For information about the firm's charges and engagement terms, visit the family-law fee options page. Ask what work a proposed engagement covers and what remains your responsibility. If you are considering a limited scope of work, the limit must be reasonable for your situation, so ask the lawyer to explain what the agreement covers and what you will still handle yourself.

To discuss private representation, you can request a consultation. Bring your court papers, any dates shown on them and questions about the work you need. The questions for a divorce consultation guide can help you prepare.

When should you not wait for free help?

Do not put aside a summons while looking for legal aid. Check the response date on your papers and tell any intake program about it. Ask what assistance it can provide before that date.

If there is an emergency or immediate danger, call 911. When safety is a concern, ask about protection first. Cook County lists the Ascend Justice Order of Protection Clinic at the Domestic Violence Courthouse, 555 West Harrison Street, Suite 1900, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except court holidays; call (312) 239-0413. Outside those hours, call 911 or the 24-hour Illinois Domestic Violence Helpline at 877-863-6338. The court's page says divorce representation for domestic violence victims may also be available there.

Legal Aid Chicago also handles protection matters for eligible survivors. For private services, see help with protection orders or custody and parenting legal services. Tell the organization about safety concerns and upcoming court dates when you ask for help.

This guide provides general information, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.