Find a Lawyer or Free Legal Help in New York
Official places in New York to find a lawyer through the bar's referral service or to get free civil legal help if you have a low income. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
| Lawyer referral service | The New York State Bar Association's Lawyer Referral and Information Service connects the public with vetted private (paid) attorneys in the areas of New York it serves. Request a referral through the online form (applications are online only); you should be contacted within five working days, or email lrs@nysba.org if not. Referrals are free; once referred, there is a $35.00 fee for the first half-hour consultation, and further fees are between you and the attorney (the LRIS does not set attorneys' fees). Panel attorneys' registration and insurance are verified. |
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| Free legal aid | Free civil legal aid for low-income New Yorkers is provided by regional legal services programs. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) lists seven New York grantees: Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, Legal Assistance of Western New York, Legal Services NYC, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Legal Services of Long Island, and Neighborhood Legal Services. |
| Rules on contingency fees | Under New York Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) (22 NYCRR Part 1200), promptly after being hired in a contingent fee matter the lawyer must give the client a writing stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or (if not prohibited) after the fee is calculated, and clearly noting expenses the client owes regardless of outcome. At the end the lawyer must give a writing stating the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Rule 1.5(d) bars contingent fees for defending a criminal matter and, in domestic relations matters, any fee contingent on securing a divorce or obtaining custody or visitation or determined by the amount of maintenance, support, equitable distribution or property settlement; domestic relations fees also require a signed plain-language written retainer agreement. By statute, contingent fees in medical, dental or podiatric malpractice actions are capped at 30% of the first $250,000, 25% of the next $250,000, 20% of the next $500,000, 15% of the next $250,000, and 10% of any amount over $1,250,000 (claims for infants are governed by Judiciary Law § 474 instead). Judiciary Law § 474-a: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/JUD/474-A. Rules text is the New York State Bar Association's 2025 compilation. |
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | Under Rule 1.5(f) of the New York Rules of Professional Conduct, where applicable a lawyer must resolve fee disputes by arbitration at the client's election under the fee arbitration program established by the Chief Administrator of the Courts (the court system's Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program). |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The New York Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, a State agency, reimburses clients who lost money or property through dishonest conduct of lawyers admitted in New York, such as stolen escrow deposits, estate or trust assets, or unpaid personal injury settlements, money embezzled in investment dealings within the attorney-client relationship, and advance fees paid to lawyers who falsely promised to do the work. Awards are up to $450,000 for each client loss. There is no application fee and no lawyer is needed; file a completed application with supporting documentation (claim forms on the Fund's site). Phone (800) 442-3863 or (518) 434-1935; email info@nylawfund.org. |
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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.