The rest of what we have written about New York. Every figure is quoted from New York’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
Free and low-cost divorce help in New York
There is no public defender for a divorce in New York, or anywhere else — the right to a free lawyer is a criminal-case right, and a divorce is a civil case. What exists instead is on this page, with the link to each one. Start with the fee waiver and the question of whether your spouse can be made to pay your legal fees, because those two are the ones people never think to ask about.
See a different stateNew York
The short version4 points · tap one to jump to it
- The five things to try, in this order
- Legal aid in New York — Legal aid organizations are funded to serve people under an income threshold, and family cases are one of the areas they most often take.
- Worth knowing about New York — You hire a lawyer for one piece — one hearing, one document, a review of an agreement before you sign it — and do the rest yourself.
- What we could not confirm for this state — Compiled 31 August 2026 from each organization’s own site, the state courts and the state bar.
In this subject 5
The five things to try, in this order
Ordered by how much they are worth relative to how hard they are, not alphabetically.
- Ask about the filing fee waiver. In New York it is called Poor Person’s Relief (Poor Person Application / Affidavit in Support of Application to Proceed as a Poor Person / Poor Person Order). Also called ‘Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis’ in some courts; if granted, waives filing and related fees. Filed with the clerk in the relevant court part.
- Ask whether your spouse can be ordered to pay your lawyer. There is a rebuttable presumption that counsel fees shall be awarded to the less-monied spouse in a matrimonial action; DRL 237(a) authorizes an award of interim counsel fees by the monied spouse to the non-monied spouse. (N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law sec. 237 (Counsel fees and expenses); see also DRL sec. 238)
- Check the statewide legal-aid portal. LawHelpNY lists the program that covers your county and what it takes.
- Use the court self-help service. New York Courts CourtHelp / DIY Forms (incl. DIY Uncontested Divorce Program). Interactive DIY forms (via partner LawHelp Interactive) for filing an uncontested divorce, for court users without a lawyer, legal-services/pro-bono staff, and low-bono attorneys; requires separation of 6+ months and no children under 21 to use the online DIY Uncontested Divorce Program.
- Try the bar referral service. New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service. Referrals are free; a $35 fee applies for the first half-hour consultation with the referred attorney. Separately, the New York City Bar Association runs a ‘Moderate Means Program’ matching qualified lower/moderate-income individuals with experienced lawyers (nycbar.org).
Legal aid in New York
Legal aid organizations are funded to serve people under an income threshold, and family cases are one of the areas they most often take. Being turned down by one is not the end of it — the threshold, the caseload and the priorities differ by program and by month.
| Organization | Who it covers | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Legal Aid Society (New York City) | New York City | Provides help with divorce and related family matters for low-income NYC residents; largest single provider but not statewide. |
| LawHelpNY (directory to statewide/regional legal services providers, incl. Family Legal Care) | statewide directory | New York has no single statewide legal aid organization; LawHelpNY aggregates many regional nonprofit providers. Family Legal Care Tech Hubs help with forms, phone 212-343-1122. |
Worth knowing about New York
- New York State has many county/regional legal aid providers rather than one single statewide organization; LawHelpNY is the best aggregator.
- We could not confirm a specific New York law school divorce or family law clinic, so none is listed (several New York law schools, such as CUNY, Cardozo and Fordham, run family law clinics, but we have not verified what each currently offers).
Limited scope representation. You hire a lawyer for one piece — one hearing, one document, a review of an agreement before you sign it — and do the rest yourself. It costs a fraction of full representation and it puts a lawyer in the two or three moments that actually change the outcome. How it works, and where it is permitted.
What we could not confirm for this state
Listed rather than filled in. Every one of these is something we went looking for and could not stand behind.
- a single statewide fee-waiver form number, which in many states does not exist because each court uses its own
- a law school family law clinic we could confirm is currently running
If you know one of these and we have it wrong or missing, tell us and we will check it and credit the correction.
Compiled 31 August 2026 from each organization’s own site, the state courts and the state bar. Legal aid funding and eligibility change, sometimes mid-year. Always check the link before relying on anything here. Corrections welcome.
Keep reading
- The national picture — fee waivers, unbundling, fee awards
- The New York divorce kit — forms, fees and deadlines
- Doing it without a lawyer
- Questions to ask a lawyer
- What divorce costs
- What two households cost