Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) provides civil legal help to low-income Oregonians through regional offices and specialized statewide hotlines and programs. We do not charge our clients for these legal services.
Flora LittleDove and her husband Joe have owned a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home for over 35 years. Their two children grew up there and Flora expects to live out the rest of her life in “her own space on this earth.” Flora is in her late sixties and battling cancer. To cover surgeries, they made the tough choice to refinance their home. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, Joe was laid off from his job. When the couple was unable to cover the higher mortgage, the bank began foreclosure proceedings. Flora had little energy to face the stress of losing her home. At the last moment, Flora turned to Legal Aid Services of Oregon for help. “One of the best things was that I did not feel alone. When I could not get answers, legal aid did. They helped me carry the burden and stress.” Because of legal aid’s help, Flora and Joe have payments they can manage and are able to stay in their home.
Statewide Hotlines
Residents anywhere in the state can apply for help with these legal issues through statewide hotlines:
- Oregon Public Benefits (government assistance programs like SSI, SNAP, TANF): (800) 520-5292
- Oregon Wildfire Disaster Relief Hotline: (844) 944-2428; hotline hours: Monday through Thursday (9AM to 4PM) and Friday (9AM to 11:30AM)
Please note that the Child Support and Foreclosure hotlines are no longer in service.
For information about child support issues, contact your local legal aid office You can also find information on OregonLawHelp.org and the Oregon Judicial Department.
For Foreclosure information, please contact your local office for assistance.
LASO’s Regional Offices
Local LASO offices help with the following kinds of cases:
- Family law cases involving domestic violence
- Housing cases, like repair issues, housing discrimination, and help with government housing programs
- Government benefits issues, like SNAP (food stamps), Oregon Health Plan and unemployment insurance benefits
- Senior law issues, like problems with long term care facilities and elder abuse
- Consumer issues, like debt collection and bankruptcy
- Employment problems, like unpaid wages and discrimination
Not all offices help with all issues. Call your local office for more information. Click here for a list of office locations.
Statewide Programs and Projects
LASO's Farmworker Program helps agricultural workers throughout Oregon with employment, housing, civil rights and other legal issues. To apply for services, call 800-662-6096.
LASO’s Native American Program (NAPOLS) represents low-income Indian tribes, Native organizations, and tribal members on issues involving federal Indian law or tribal law, or that are otherwise impacted by the client's tribal status, such as tribal sovereignty, tribal enrollment, and trust land and resources. To apply for services, call 503- 223-9483.
LASO’s Statewide Tax Clinic helps Oregonians resolve disputes with the IRS and related Department of Revenue matters, including settling tax debt through the Offer In Compromise process, installment agreements or hardship requests, representation in tax audits and in U.S. Tax Court, help with worker classification issues, assistance in applying for innocent or injured spouse relief, and more. To apply for services, call 1-888-610-8764.
LASO's Wildfire Disaster Relief Program helps low-income Oregonians who were impacted by Oregon's 2020 wildfires. Legal issues we can assist with include but are not limited to denials of FEMA assistance, housing issues (owners and renters of manufactured homes; landlord/tenant), consumer fraud, document replacement, debt issues, tax, insurance, wills, and power of attorney. To see if you qualify for assistance, call the Wildfire Disaster Relief Hotline: (844) 944-2428. Hotline hours: Monday through Thursday (9AM to 4PM) and Friday (9AM to 11:30AM). Website: www.oregondisasterlegalservices.org.
Pro Bono Opportunities: Volunteer lawyers help Legal Aid Services of Oregon meet the needs of low-income Oregonians by working with legal aid offices around the state. Legal aid offices throughout the state offer pro bono opportunities for private attorneys to provide pro bono representation. Opportunities very depending on the regional office. Pro bono attorneys provide an extremely valuable service by increasing access to legal assistance to many low-income Oregonians each year. For a list of our pro bono programs and to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit our advocate website located at www.oregonadvocates.org.
Equal Opportunity Service Provider
Legal Aid Services of Oregon does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, creed, color, age, ancestry, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or gender identity or expression.
Los Servicios Legales de Oregón no discrimina por razón de sexo, raza, religión, credo, color, edad, origen nacional, alcurnia, estado civil, estado de veterano, incapacidad, orientación sexual, ni afiliación política, o identidad o expresión sexual.
Notice about our services: If you are dissatisfied with the legal assistance provided to you by a LASO office, or if you have a complaint about an office, please ask that office for a copy of our grievance procedure. Please let that office know if you need help in filing a complaint.
Aviso tocante a nuestros servicios: si no está usted satisfecho con la ayuda legal proporcionada a usted por una oficina de LASO, o si tiene usted una queja contra una oficina, por favor de esa oficina pida una copia de nuestro procedimiento de agravios. Por favor notifíquenos esa oficina si necesita ayuda para archivar una queja.
Margaret is 52 with three grown children. For years, she lived with physical abuse and threats from her husband. After she insisted he move out, he threatened her and her family. Terrified, she called the police, who told her to get a stalking order. She didn’t know how to get one, so she contacted a domestic violence shelter. The shelter connected her with Legal Aid Services of Oregon. A LASO lawyer helped her get a protective order. This helped her to stay safe at work when her husband began stalking her there. Her lawyer also helped her get spousal support so she can complete a vocational program and become self-sufficient. Margaret said, “It was heaven-sent, being able to go to legal aid and get some help when I was between a rock and a hard place and had no money for a lawyer.”
