Find a Lawyer or Free Legal Help in Tennessee
Official places in Tennessee 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 | Tennessee has no single statewide bar lawyer referral service on the opened pages; referrals are made by local bar programs. The Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee (which does not itself refer attorneys) lists: Chattanooga Lawyers Information Provider Service (CLIPS), serving Hamilton, Bradley and Rhea Counties, (423) 756-3222; Knoxville Bar Association, serving Knox County, (865) 522-7501; and Memphis Bar Association, serving Shelby County, (901) 527-3573. The Board advises getting a written fee agreement from any attorney you hire at the first conference. |
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| Free legal aid | For low-income Tennesseans, the Board of Professional Responsibility recommends applying to the legal services program in your geographic area and lists Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, West Tennessee Legal Services and Memphis Area Legal Services, plus the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. LSC lists Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, and West Tennessee Legal Services as its Tennessee grantees. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Tennessee Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c) (Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 8), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and must state the method for determining the fee and how expenses are handled; at the end of a contingent fee matter the lawyer must give the client a written closing statement. Rule 1.5(d) prohibits fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce, custody or the amount of support or property settlement (with an exception for collecting arrearages or enforcing property division orders when the arrangement is disclosed to the court), and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. Rule 1.5(b) says the scope of representation and the basis or rate of fees should be communicated, preferably in writing. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Tennessee Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection (Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 25) may reimburse losses caused by a lawyer's dishonest conduct, meaning misappropriation or willful misapplication of money, securities or other property, arising from the practice of law in Tennessee. It excludes losses of the lawyer's family members, partners, associates or employees, losses covered by bonds or insurance, and losses of lawyer-controlled businesses or government entities. No payment may exceed $100,000 per claimant, and total payments for one lawyer are capped at $400,000. File the Board-approved claim form, under penalty of perjury, within three years after the loss occurred or reasonably should have been discovered, and never later than five years after the loss. No one has a right to payment; the Board's decisions are final. |
Tenant lawyers, legal aid and housing help in Tennessee · All Tennessee law guides
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.