The court process can be very complicated. Representing yourself may take a lot of time, may be difficult, and may be confusing. The Court will expect you to follow the same rules attorneys must follow. If at any point throughout the Court process you are not sure about representing yourself, you should talk to an attorney.

If you would like to find out if you qualify for free legal assistance by one of the legal service providers below, you can call the Legal Help Link at 1-888-225-0582. If you do qualify, the Legal Help Link will transfer your call to the appropriate legal service provider. By calling the same number, you can ask for the Lawyer Referral Service to schedule a 30-minute meeting with an attorney for a reduced fee.

Community Legal Aid Society, Inc.

Provides civil legal services to members of our community who have low incomes, who have disabilities, or who are age 60 and over.

New Castle County:302-575-0660

Kent County: 302-674-8500

Sussex County: 302-856-0038

Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS)

An organization of volunteer attorneys that provides legal assistance to low-income clients with problems in a variety of civil areas. DVLS also provides The Legal Help Link, the centralized case intake service stated above that assures that callers are referred to the appropriate legal service organization or to a private attorney for assistance. They can be reached at 1-888-225-0582.

Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc.

Provides legal representation to Delaware's low-income population in civil matters such as bankruptcy petitions and advice, consumer problems, housing problems, and unemployment benefit problems.

New Castle County: 302-575-0408

Kent County: 302-734-8820

Limited Legal Assistance Program

Free 15 minutes of legal assistance. Volunteer attorneys are meeting with eligible self-represented litigants for a one-time fifteen-minute meeting. The attorney will not be meeting with the self-represented litigant outside of the program. Nor will the attorney represent the litigant in court.

There is no income eligibility for this service. Instead, to be eligible, people seeking assistance must not have received previous legal assistance regarding the same issue and their question must be one that can be asked and answered within the fifteen-minute timeframe. People using the service will be directed to legal service providers and reference materials for further assistance.

Currently, the Limited Legal Assistance Program is available at the Self-Help Center in the New Castle County Courthouse, 2nd floor, 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE in the areas of:

CIVIL FAMILY LAW: MONDAYS from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

This service is available by appointment. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT and to be screened for eligibility, visit the Self-Help Center or contact Karen Antonelli at 302-255-2599.

This program is coordinated by the Administrative Office of the Courts. Program sponsors include: the Delaware State Courts, the Delaware State Bar Association, Delaware Volunteer Legal Services, Inc. Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc. Widener University School of Law, and the Delaware Paralegal Association.

Criminal Matters:

The Office of the Public Defender

Provides the following indigent defendants with representation in criminal matters:

every adult arrested or charged with a crime that carries the possibility of incarceration who cannot afford an attorney; and any child arrested or charged with a crime

New Castle County: 302-577-5200

Kent County: 302-739-4476

Sussex County: 302-856-5310