SAEF is a nonprofit funded by generous donors, including the University of Chicago and Duke Center on Law & Technology. We'll never ask you to pay for any of our services.
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We work closely with experienced Chicago family law attorneys & our partners to make sure the referrals we provide are accurate and up-to-date.
Legal Aid & Pro Bono
There are a number of organizations in Chicago that receive funding from the government to provide free legal services to those that quality. Eligible applicants typically live in a household between 150% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Line.
In most cases, organizations that offer full representation have stricter eligibility standards than those offering legal advice only, which tend to be much looser.
"Low-Bono" Legal Service Providers
Many private firms & nonprofits offer alternative billing arrangements – making their legal services much cheaper than the average family law attorney.
In general, we define “low-cost” fees as at least 40% below market rate. Alternative billing arrangements commonly take the form of sliding-scale fees (payments based on income), flat-fees (one-time payment), or a limited-scope arrangement (pay only for specific tasks).
Other Resources
At times, we may refer you to an organization that doesn’t offer legal services.
Instead, they may provide services for administrative cases, or offer more specialized legal information products. We only work with companies that meet our low-cost standard and offer demonstrated legal solutions.