9 to 1, Three Days a Week: When LSEM Takes Phone Applications for Free Legal Aid
Revised October 29, 2026
Where can I get free legal aid in St. Louis, Mo.?
Start with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the free civil-law office at 701 Market Street. Call 800-444-0514 or 314-534-4200 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, or apply online at lsem.org. City renters facing eviction can call HELP STL at (314) 657-1671. For expungement, try ArchCity Defenders.
Keep reading ↓The court date is printed in the corner of the page. A thin envelope, your name in the little window, and a tight feeling under your ribs that makes you want to slide the whole thing under the fruit bowl and deal with it later. Please don’t. You can get a free lawyer in St. Louis, and the first step takes one phone call.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, the region’s free civil-law office, takes applications for help by phone from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday only. Call 800-444-0514 or (314) 534-4200 inside that window. Outside it, you can leave a message from 1 to 5 p.m. on those same days, and the office says it tries to return calls within 3-5 business days. You can also apply online at any hour through the “Apply Now” link on its Get Help page.
So if a friend is holding one of these envelopes, tell them this: call in the morning, and have the paper in your hand when you do. That one sentence can save a week.
Below are the main doors to free and low-cost legal help in St. Louis, who each one serves, and what to have on the table. If rent or a shutoff is part of the same mess, our St. Louis help and assistance resources hub covers those.
Where can I get free legal aid in St. Louis, Mo.?
For most civil problems, start with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, usually called LSEM. Its St. Louis office is at 701 Market Street, Suite 1100. It provides free civil legal help to low-income people and older adults in 21 counties of eastern Missouri, and its own FAQ is plain about cost: “No, you do not have to pay any attorney fees to Legal Services.” If there are court costs, the office says you will be told in advance.
It helps to know what LSEM cannot take, so you don’t lose a morning on the wrong line. Its intake page says it cannot handle personal injury, traffic law, bankruptcy or criminal cases, and it does not handle family law cases unless they are directly related to domestic violence or abuse. If your problem is one of those, skip ahead. There is a different door for you below.
If English is not your first language, or you are deaf or hard of hearing, LSEM offers interpreter services. Ask for an interpreter when you first call the intake line. You don’t have to arrange it yourself.
How do I apply for legal aid in Missouri? The call, step by step
Clear a corner of the kitchen table. Put down a pen, the papers you received and a phone with some charge in it. That is the whole setup. Then work through it in this order:
1. Call inside the window. LSEM’s phone applications run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Its page says all calls for assistance go to its Advocacy Referral Team, and you may have to wait on hold. Keep the phone on speaker so your hands are free for the papers.
2. Or apply online. The online application is in English. After you finish it, LSEM says you will be contacted for more information.
3. Have your answers ready. LSEM’s FAQ says you will be asked about your household’s income, the property you own, your zip code, family size and composition, age, race, and citizenship or immigration status. Jot the income number on the back of the envelope before you dial. It is one less thing to remember with your heart pounding.
4. If you have a summons, have it in front of you. LSEM asks people who have received a summons to be ready with the specific court, the opposing party and the court date. All three are printed on the paper. Read them out slowly.
5. Write down what happens. Note the date you called and anything they tell you. If you leave a message in the afternoon, mark three to five business days out on a calendar so you know when to try again.
That is the whole process. No retainer. No contract to sign before anyone listens. Before a case is accepted, LSEM says it has to meet guidelines and household income limits set by the federal Legal Services Corporation, which is why the income questions come first.
Where can I get help with eviction in St. Louis?
If the notice was taped to your door, peel it off slowly so the tape doesn’t tear the date, and keep it flat. You will want it in your hand on the call. If you rent in the City of St. Louis and you have an eviction notice or a court date, there is a program built for exactly this moment. The city’s Housing Eviction Law Program, called HELP STL City, started in August of 2024. The city contracted with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to run it and offer free legal services to tenants facing eviction.
To be eligible, the city’s request page says you need to be a renter living in the City of St. Louis. To ask for help, call the Department of Human Services at (314) 657-1671 or (314) 657-1654. If you received an eviction notice from your landlord, have it with you when you call. If you have been summoned to appear on the eviction court docket, have that information too. The department’s main line is (314) 612-5900, and its office is at 1520 Market, 4th Floor.
If you and your landlord might still talk it through, the Conflict Resolution Center at 20 S. Sarah Street offers mediation. Its number is (314) 255-7449.
Older lists also send renters to the Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, EHOC, at (314) 534-5800. That is still its number, but its own contact page says right now that EHOC is not currently accepting new inquiries, so don’t spend your one free morning waiting on it.
The worst thing you can do with an eviction summons is let it sit. The court date on that paper is real. A lawyer may see something you can’t, but only if you reach one before the hearing.
If your landlord changes the locks without going to court
Coming home to a key that won’t turn is its own kind of cold. Know this: in Missouri, a landlord cannot evict a renter without a court order. In the City of St. Louis, Board Bill 87 makes a lockout without a court order a city offense, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The same law bars the landlord from collecting rent for the period you were locked out. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has the backstory on how the law passed. Call the police, then call HELP STL. If a housing voucher is part of your situation, our guide to navigating Section 8 in St. Louis City covers the voucher side.
Clearing an old record in Missouri
An old charge has a way of showing up at the worst moment: the background-check box on a job application, the apartment you really wanted. Missouri lets people petition to expunge many records under section 610.140 of the Revised Statutes. The waiting period is the part people get wrong. The statute says that when you file, it must have been at least three years for a felony, or at least one year for a misdemeanor, municipal violation or infraction, counted from the date you completed your sentence or other authorized disposition.
Because LSEM does not handle criminal cases, start with ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis legal advocacy organization that lists expungement among the work it does. Its office is at 5939 Goodfellow Blvd, and its numbers are (314) 361-8834 and (855) 724-2489. If clearing a record is one piece of a bigger fresh start, our guide to starting over after incarceration in St. Louis connects the other pieces.
Help with an order of protection
If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. Reach out from a safe place, on a phone or device the person hurting you can’t check. For emergency shelter, LSEM points people to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
An order of protection is a court order, and you can get free help starting one. The Crime Victim Center in St. Louis lists a helpline at (314) 652-3623 and a domestic violence legal assistance line at (314) 664-6699, with phone hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Its office is at 539 North Grand Blvd., Suite 400.
Call the Crime Victim Center helpline (314-652-3623) during those hours. If it is after hours, or you just need a human voice right now, Safe Connections runs a 24-hour crisis helpline at (314) 531-2003. LSEM can take family law cases when they are directly tied to domestic violence or abuse. For hotlines, shelters and a fuller safety plan, see our guide to domestic violence help in St. Louis.
What if you earn too much for free legal aid?
Maybe the intake worker asked about your income and you heard yourself say a number that was a little too big. That is not the end of the road. Programs funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation set income ceilings that, under federal regulation 45 CFR 1611.3, may not exceed 125% of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guidelines change every year, so ask the intake worker for the current figure for your household size. There are exceptions. Section 1611.5 allows some applicants up to 200% of the guidelines in specific situations, such as people seeking help to get or keep government benefits for persons with disabilities. If you are close to the line, apply anyway and let them decide.
If you are clearly over it, you still have a path. The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis runs St. Louis Lawyer Search, which it describes as a free online lawyer directory of attorneys in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Be clear-eyed about one thing: the page says referred attorneys charge fees for their services, and its referral form asks you to pay a referral fee. BAMSL’s main line is (314) 421-4134, toll free (833) 743-8212.
What this help costs you
Nothing, if Legal Services of Eastern Missouri takes your case: its own Get Help page says “Services are Free,” for low-income people and the elderly in 21 counties of eastern Missouri. HELP STL City eviction help for City renters is free legal services too. The price only appears when you go private: St. Louis Lawyer Search attorneys charge fees, and the referral form asks you to pay a referral fee before you are matched.
The Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry is another door, listed by Saint Louis University at 100 North Tucker Blvd. and (314) 977-3993. For older adults, our guide to legal services for seniors walks through options built for people 60 and up.
One problem often travels with another. If rent or the light bill is part of this, start here: St. Louis help for rent, utilities and more.
What to have on the table before you dial
Lines get busy, and the hold music can loop for a while on speaker. Being ready can be the difference between a full intake and a callback days later. Gather these first:
- Your household income for the month, and how many people live with you.
- Any court papers, with the court name, the other party and the court date easy to find.
- An eviction notice from your landlord, if you have one.
- Any denial or termination letter from an agency, with its date circled.
- A short, plain description of the problem. Two or three sentences is plenty.
- A pen and something to write on, for names, dates and the next step.
None of these offices can help someone they never hear from. The lawyers are there. The programs exist for exactly this work. The move that changes everything is small and a little scary: you pick up the phone while the number is still in front of you.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I apply for legal aid in Missouri?
In the St. Louis area, call Legal Services of Eastern Missouri at 800-444-0514 or 314-534-4200 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, or apply online through the “Apply Now” link on lsem.org. Have your household income and any court papers ready, including the court, the opposing party and the court date.
What is the maximum income to get legal aid?
For programs funded by the federal Legal Services Corporation, the income ceiling may not exceed 125% of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines, which change every year. Federal rules allow some applicants up to 200% in specific situations. Ask the intake worker for the current dollar figure for your household size.
How do I get a lawyer if I have no money?
Start with a legal aid office. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri takes civil cases such as housing and benefits, and its FAQ says you do not have to pay any attorney fees to Legal Services. For criminal records and expungement, contact ArchCity Defenders at 314-361-8834. The Catholic Legal Assistance Ministry (314-977-3993) is another door to ask about.
Where can I get help with eviction in St. Louis?
City of St. Louis renters can request free legal help through HELP STL City by calling the Department of Human Services at (314) 657-1671 or (314) 657-1654. The program is run with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Have your eviction notice or court date information with you when you call.
Can a landlord evict you without a court order in Missouri?
No. Under Missouri law, a landlord who removes a renter or changes the locks without a court order is guilty of forcible entry and detainer. In the City of St. Louis, Board Bill 87 makes a lockout without a court order a city offense, with a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Call the police, then call HELP STL at 314-657-1671.
What is pro bono legal assistance?
Pro bono comes from a Latin term meaning for the public good. Cornell’s Legal Information Institute defines it as legal service provided voluntarily by law firms, law schools and attorneys without monetary compensation. In practice, it means a lawyer helps you without charging a fee.
Can I call a lawyer and ask a question for free?
You can call a legal aid intake line for free. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri takes phone applications at (800) 444-0514 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. If you earn too much for legal aid, BAMSL (314-421-4134) runs St. Louis Lawyer Search, which lists private attorneys, but referred attorneys charge fees for their services.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.