If you haven’t taken the time to explore LawHelpNY, then stop what you’re doing, open a new tab in your browser, and type www.lawhelpny.org in the search box. Whether you are a new reader or regular of the RealNY blog, you should know the information you are getting is powered by LawHelpNY.

Maybe you are a service provider looking for some legal information for your client who was denied public assistance.

Maybe you are trying to file for divorce on your own, but you don’t know how to take the first step.

Maybe you just got home from the grocery store to find a 3-day notice to vacate slipped under your front door.

Well, since you already opened that new tab for lawhelpny.org, then you are well on your way to solving whatever legal bind you have found yourself in. Just click on “Find legal aid in NYS” toward the top of the page, enter your zip code and legal issue, and you will find a long list of organizations who may provide you with free legal information or representation.

But, wait. Who are these organizations? How do they become LawHelpNY’s referrals?

The organizations and legal services listed on LawHelpNY are from all around New York State. They are a variety of different kinds of organizations, from legal information hotlines to law school legal clinics, to legal assistance organizations that can provide full legal representation. They all have one thing in common: they are required to have a lawyer on staff to be listed on LawHelpNY. These organizations can provide you with quality legal information and/or representation.

Now that you know how to find free legal assistance in your area, check out all of the other great resources on the site. Maybe you don’t need a lawyer quite yet. Maybe you just have a legal question you need answered. In that case, just click on a topic on the homepage of the site that relates to your question, and it will direct you to a list of articles where you can find your answer. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Try the LiveHelp chat feature on the right side of the homepage to talk to a live person who can lead you to the answer you are looking for.

Here are a few more tips to leave you with:

Make sure you check out the section “Useful Hotlines for New Yorkers” at the bottom of the homepage for quick referrals to a live advocate.

Explore our newly developed “Divorce Self-Help: Interactive Map” here: http://www.lawhelpny.org/resource/interactive-divorce-map

LawHelpNY is easy to access on a computer or on your mobile device. We hope you find the legal information you need.