Free Legal Help for Tenants and Landlords in Michigan

Legal aid organizations, right-to-counsel programs and official court self-help resources in Michigan, gathered from the state, county and city pages on this site.

Right to a free lawyer in eviction cases

Wayne County (Detroit): 36th District Court links 'Information on Right to Counsel for Tenants' (City of Detroit program; flyer is a PDF not opened). City-level program - details on the Detroit city page. Source
Ann Arbor: No. No right-to-counsel program was found.
Detroit: Yes. Under the Right to Counsel law approved in May 2022, tenant households facing eviction in 36th District Court with gross income up to 200% of the federal poverty level get a free lawyer. Ask the judge at the hearing, go to room 417, or call (866) 313-2520. Source
Grand Rapids: No local right to counsel found.

Free legal aid organizations

Lakeshore Legal Aid — Regional civil legal aid in southeast Michigan; check eligibility.
Serves: Wayne County (Detroit), Oakland County (Pontiac, Southfield, Troy), Macomb County (Warren, Sterling Heights)
Michigan Legal Help — Statewide self-help tools for eviction cases.
Serves: Wayne County (Detroit), Oakland County (Pontiac, Southfield, Troy), Macomb County (Warren, Sterling Heights), Kent County (Grand Rapids), Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti), Genesee County (Flint)
Legal Aid of Western Michigan — Regional civil legal aid; check eligibility.
Serves: Kent County (Grand Rapids)
Legal Services of South Central Michigan (Ypsilanti) — Free legal help for eligible low-income residents of Washtenaw County; 15 S. Washington St., Ypsilanti, (734) 665-6181.
Serves: Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti)
University of Michigan Clinical Law Program — Takes new cases only from early September to mid-April; (734) 763-4319.
Serves: Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti)
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan — Listed by the 67th District Court for tenants unable to retain counsel; (810) 234-2621.
Serves: Genesee County (Flint), Saginaw County (Saginaw)
Legal Services of South Central Michigan — Free legal help for eligible low-income residents; serves Ingham County.
Serves: Ingham County (Lansing / East Lansing / Mason), Calhoun County
Legal Aid of Western Michigan (Kalamazoo office) — Free civil legal help for eligible residents; 141 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 400, Kalamazoo, (269) 344-8113.
Serves: Kalamazoo County (Kalamazoo / Portage)
Legal Aid of Western Michigan - Holland office — Holland office (Allegan & Ottawa): 115 Clover St, Suite 101, Holland, MI 49423 (https://lawestmi.org/). Ottawa/Allegan intake 616-394-1380 (toll-free 800-681-8016), Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 1-4:30 PM; online via michiganlegalhelp.org.
Serves: Ottawa County
Legal Aid of Western Michigan - St. Joseph office — 901 Port St, St. Joseph, MI 49085; serves Berrien County. Free legal advice and representation including housing problems.
Serves: Berrien County
Legal Services of South Central Michigan - Jackson Office — Serves Jackson and Hillsdale counties: 540 N. Jackson St., Jackson, MI 49201; (517) 787-6111. Counsel & Advocacy Law Line (phone advice, no representation, under 200% of poverty): 1-888-783-8190 (https://lsscm.org/contact).
Serves: Jackson County
Legal Aid of Western Michigan - Muskegon Office — 450 Morris Ave, Ste 104, Muskegon, MI 49440; 231-726-4887 (TTY 616-727-0916). Covers Mason, Muskegon and Oceana counties; apply by phone or online.
Serves: Muskegon County

Find a tenant or eviction lawyer in Michigan

If you do not qualify for free legal aid, a bar lawyer referral service can match you with a landlord-tenant lawyer for a low-cost first consultation.

State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service — (800) 968-0738 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m.)
$25 administrative referral fee covers a consultation of up to 25 minutes with the matched lawyer.

Official court and state resources

Legal aid groups set their own eligibility rules (usually income-based). Call ahead or check their site.

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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.