Getting a lawyer
Free and low-cost legal help in South Africa
You do not have to be able to pay a lawyer to get legal help. These services offer free advice or representation. Each one covers different kinds of problems, so it helps to know where to start.
Where to get free legal help
Search by the kind of problem you have, or filter by the type of service.
Legal Aid South Africa
National serviceWhat it covers
- • Criminal defence for people who cannot afford a lawyer
- • Some civil matters: evictions, labour, maintenance, divorce, land
- • Children's matters and appeals
- • Free legal advice on the national helpline
Good to know: Legal Aid SA usually does not represent the complainant in a criminal case — the State prosecutor does that. It also rarely takes debt-collection or purely commercial matters.
How to apply
Walk into any Legal Aid SA justice centre or satellite office, or phone the helpline. You complete a means test based on your income and assets. Bring your ID, proof of income (payslip or affidavit if unemployed), proof of address and any court papers.
University law clinics
Law clinicWhat it covers
- • Family matters: divorce, maintenance, custody
- • Housing and eviction disputes
- • Consumer and credit problems
- • Labour disputes and unfair dismissal
- • Drafting letters of demand, affidavits and simple contracts
Good to know: Most clinics do not take criminal defence work, and they close over university recess periods.
How to apply
Phone or email the clinic at your nearest university (Wits, UCT, UP, UKZN, UWC, UFS, NWU, Stellenbosch, UNISA, Rhodes, Fort Hare and others all run clinics). You are usually screened on the phone, then given an appointment. There is normally an income test. Bring your ID and every document about your problem.
Legal Resources Centre (LRC)
Public interestWhat it covers
- • Human rights and constitutional cases
- • Land rights and evictions
- • Access to education, health care and social grants
- • Gender equality and cases affecting large groups of people
Good to know: The LRC takes strategic cases with a wider public impact, not routine individual disputes.
How to apply
Send a written summary of your problem to the nearest LRC office (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Makhanda). Cases are selected on public-interest grounds.
ProBono.Org
Pro bono referralWhat it covers
- • Family law clinics at court
- • Housing, evictions and refugee matters
- • Consumer, deceased estates and wills
- • Referral to private attorneys who take the case free of charge
How to apply
Attend a walk-in clinic day at one of their offices or at the court help desks in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town or Pretoria. You are interviewed, means-tested and then matched with a volunteer attorney.
Women's Legal Centre
SpecialistWhat it covers
- • Gender-based violence and protection orders
- • Rights of women in marriages and partnerships
- • Maintenance and property on separation
- • Sexual harassment and discrimination
How to apply
Contact the centre by phone or email with a short description of your matter. Advice is free and cases are taken where they advance women's rights.
Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS)
Public interestWhat it covers
- • Gender justice and civil and political rights
- • Environmental justice and mining-affected communities
- • Business and human rights
How to apply
Approach CALS at the University of the Witwatersrand in writing. They act mainly in cases with broad constitutional significance.
Lawyers for Human Rights
Public interestWhat it covers
- • Refugee and migrant rights
- • Detention and access to justice
- • Land and housing security
- • Strategic litigation on constitutional rights
How to apply
Visit or phone a law clinic in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban or Musina. Walk-in days are common; check times before travelling.
Small Claims Court
National serviceWhat it covers
- • Money claims up to the court's limit
- • Free process — no lawyers allowed on either side
- • A commissioner (a volunteer attorney or advocate) hears the matter
How to apply
Send a letter of demand to the other party first, wait 14 days, then take your letter, proof of delivery and supporting papers to the clerk of the Small Claims Court at your nearest magistrates' court.
Legal Practice Council pro bono desk
Pro bono referralWhat it covers
- • Referral to attorneys who must do a minimum of free work each year
- • Matters where you have been turned away elsewhere
How to apply
Contact the provincial office of the Legal Practice Council and ask for the pro bono coordinator. Explain that you cannot afford a lawyer and describe the matter briefly.
How to apply, step by step
Check whether you qualify
Most free services use a means test based on your household income and what you own. If you are unemployed or earning a low wage you will usually qualify. Being turned down by one service does not mean another will refuse you.
Gather your documents
Identity document, proof of address, proof of income (payslip, bank statement, or a sworn affidavit if you have no income), and every letter, contract, summons or court paper about your problem.
Write a one-page summary
Set out what happened, in date order, with names and dates. This saves time in the interview and helps the lawyer see the problem quickly.
Phone or walk in
Some services take appointments; many run walk-in days. Phone first to check times and whether you are at the right office for your kind of problem.
Attend the interview
You will be screened for the means test and for whether your matter is one the service handles. Ask what happens next, who your contact person is, and by when you should hear back.
Keep a record
Write down the reference number, the name of the person helping you and each date you were told something. Follow up politely if you hear nothing within the time you were given.
If you are the victim in a criminal case
In a criminal case the State prosecutor brings the case — you do not need to pay for a lawyer to prosecute. Free legal help is still useful for related matters: a protection order, a claim for damages, maintenance, or advice about your rights as a witness. Court preparation officers and Thuthuzela Care Centres can also support you at no cost.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Contact details and the kinds of cases each service takes can change — always phone ahead before travelling.