Illinois Legal Aid Online

To people lying awake at night, with nowhere to turn except their mobile, ilao offers a light in the night. Over half of those we serve come from their mobile phones, and between 5pm-9am or on weekends, when traditional Legal offices are closed. Ilao partners with illinoisans facing injustices by providing 24/7 free, accessible, plain-language Legal tools and direction, including self-help guides, interactive court forms, videos, and a real-time chat service. In fy23, 2.1 million illinoisans - approximately 16% of the state's population - sought illinoislegalaid.org for guidance and help in over 600 Legal issues, such as eviction, food insecurity, domestic abuse, criminal records, divorce, child support, deportation, discrimination, and debt. Our highest volume services relate to family law, where people without lawyers most commonly experience our complex Legal system, and where they are least likely to find a Legal Aid lawyer to help. In addition to this interactive library of civil Legal education and solutions, ilao provides other important services. First, interactive apps called easy forms, similar to turbotax, help people without lawyers create free, personalized, accurate court forms and Legal papers, using a simple question-and-answer format. In fy23, 36,488 clients customized over 130,000 Legal documents. Second, a triage, intake, and referral system (get Legal help) directs people, via internet or sms, to the best available Legal resources - forms, self-help guides, and lawyers. In fy23, ilao matched over 12,000 eligible applicants directly to free and low-cost Legal providers; for each potential client, electronically transferring their application information into the matched partner's case management system.