Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) General Legal Services

Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) provides free legal help to eligible clients.  We may give legal advice, brief services, or representation.  We may be able to help with legal issues like:

Family: We represent people with divorce, custody, and Indian Child Welfare Act cases. We can help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking get Orders for Protection (OFP) or Harassment Restraining Orders (HRO).

Housing: We help with landlord/tenant issues like: eviction, rent increase, utility shut-off, security deposit, and repairs. We also help with housing discrimination, housing subsidy, foreclosure, and homeowner's association issues.

Consumer: We help with defective goods, an issue with a contract, or trouble with insurance.

Debt and Creditor: We deal with debt collectors or lawsuits over debt.

Bankruptcy: We help with bankruptcy when clients are at risk of foreclosure or contract for deed cancellation, or if clients are farmers.

Employment: We help employees who are being discriminated against or illegally fired.  We also assist with paycheck disputes.

Immigration: We help get green cards for refugees, asylees, or U visa holders.  We help with citizenship applications and replacing lost, stolen, or expiring documents.  And we can help immigrant victims of domestic violence and violent crimes apply for immigration status.

Economic Justice: We help with denials, reductions, or terminations of government benefits.

Education: We help families whose child is struggling in school or not getting a fair and appropriate early childhood to high school public education.

To apply for free legal help, click on the Application Process tab.