How to Find a Lawyer: Referral Services, Checking a License, Legal Aid, and What to Ask

To find a lawyer, start with two facts: the state where your matter will be handled and the kind of legal help you need. Then use that state bar's lawyer referral service or attorney directory, the American Bar Association's directory of lawyer referral services (opens in a new tab), or the Legal Services Corporation's legal aid locator (opens in a new tab). Before you hire anyone, check the lawyer's license status and any public discipline with the state bar. Ask whether the lawyer handles matters like yours, who will work on it, how fees and costs work, and what the first meeting includes. If cost, language or accessibility is a concern, ask about legal aid, reduced-fee programs, interpreters or accommodations.

Start with the state and the type of problem

Lawyers are licensed by state, and the rules for referral services, discipline records and certification differ from one state to the next. A car accident in Houston, a divorce in El Paso and a business dispute in another state may each point you to a different bar and a different kind of lawyer. Naming the state and county connected to the matter, along with the legal subject, makes every later step easier.

From there, the main starting points are the state bar's referral service or attorney search, a local bar association, the ABA's directory of state and local referral services, a legal aid organization, or a resource at the court handling your case. If you are not sure the matter needs a lawyer at all, our guides such as do I need a lawyer for a car accident explain what usually shapes that decision.

What a lawyer referral service does

A referral service takes basic information about you and your legal issue, then connects you with a participating lawyer who handles that kind of matter in your area. The referral is not the same as hiring the lawyer, and the service does not take responsibility for the representation that follows.

In Texas, the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service (opens in a new tab) asks for your county, a short description of the legal issue, your name, ZIP code and phone number. It serves most Texas counties and sends some counties to local services. The referred lawyer provides a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20; after that, fees are arranged between you and the lawyer. The service does not provide free or reduced-fee representation. It offers English and Spanish access, by phone at 800-252-9690 or through its online referral form (opens in a new tab).

Other states run their programs differently. The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service (opens in a new tab) matches by location and legal need, with a regular-panel consultation of 30 minutes for no more than $25, and a modest-means panel that may provide a 30-minute consultation at no charge for callers who qualify. Its number is 800-342-8011. In California, the State Bar of California (opens in a new tab) points the public to certified referral services that must meet State Bar standards, and the consultation charge depends on the service you choose. Because not every service is run or certified by a bar, ask who operates a service before you share details about your matter.

How to check a lawyer's license and discipline record

Every state bar keeps an official record of who is licensed to practice there. A directory listing, a review site or an ad does not show whether a lawyer is in good standing, so go to the source.

In Texas, the State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer tool (opens in a new tab) lets you search by name, firm and other fields and gives basic information about attorneys licensed in Texas. Note the lawyer's full name and bar card number so you can confirm you have the right person. The State Bar also publishes recent disciplinary actions and keeps discipline information through its Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel.

In California, the State Bar's Attorney Search shows license status along with disciplinary and administrative history. In Florida, the bar's discipline history lookup (opens in a new tab) shows a status such as Member in Good Standing and a 10-year discipline history, and older records may require a request to the bar. If you find an old discipline entry, read the record itself and ask the lawyer about it directly.

How to judge experience beyond the advertising

A practice-area listing tells you what a lawyer says they handle. It is not proof of certification. Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (opens in a new tab), effective March 7, 2025, Rule 7.01 prohibits false or misleading communications about a lawyer's services, Rule 7.02 covers advertising and limits claims of specialization, and Rule 7.04 covers lawyer referral services. Texas advertising rules also limit statements about past results.

Board certification is a formal credential. In Texas, the Texas Board of Legal Specialization is the recognized certifying body, and the State Bar of Texas explains (opens in a new tab) that board-certified lawyers are the only Texas attorneys the State Bar permits to publicly describe themselves as specializing in a select area. The TBLS standards (opens in a new tab) look at substantial involvement in the area, professional accomplishments, skill, an examination, and character and fitness. Certification is one factor in choosing a lawyer and does not guarantee a result. If a lawyer claims certification, confirm it through the certifying body rather than through a general directory.

The most useful way to judge experience is to ask. How many matters like yours has the lawyer handled? Who in the firm will do the work day to day? How will you hear about progress?

What to bring to the first meeting

The State Bar of Texas suggests (opens in a new tab) asking the lawyer what to bring and whether to send written materials ahead of time. A well-prepared first meeting usually includes:

• Contracts, notices, letters, court papers, police or agency documents, photos, records and messages related to the matter.
• A short timeline of events in order.
• Names and contact details for the people and organizations involved.
• Any deadlines, hearing dates or scheduled events.
• Your list of questions.
• Any language, communication or accessibility needs.

Questions to ask before you hire

Good questions cover the lawyer's experience, the work, and the money. Ask whether the lawyer handles matters like yours and how often. Ask who will handle the file, what work the representation includes, and how and when the lawyer will communicate with you. On fees, ask how the lawyer charges, what costs are separate from legal fees, when bills are sent, and whether the agreement will be in writing. A written fee and scope agreement before work begins gives you something concrete to compare. Our guide to how much a lawyer costs explains common fee arrangements and retainers.

Ask early about conflicts, too. Under ABA Model Rule 1.18 (opens in a new tab), a person who consults a lawyer about possibly forming a lawyer-client relationship is a prospective client, and the lawyer generally may not use or reveal what that person shared, even if no representation follows. Texas has its own versions in its rules on confidentiality, conflicts and prospective clients. A first conversation does not by itself make the lawyer your lawyer, so share only what the lawyer needs for a conflict check until the lawyer explains how the consultation and confidentiality work.

If you cannot afford a lawyer

Legal aid may be available. The Legal Services Corporation funds independent nonprofit civil legal aid organizations in every state, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and its locator searches by address or city. These programs generally serve people who cannot afford legal help, and they follow rules on income, location, case type and citizenship.

In Texas, TexasLawHelp explains legal aid eligibility (opens in a new tab): organizations commonly look at household income, Texas residence, the type of case and special eligibility categories. A common income guideline is below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, though some programs use higher limits, and being eligible does not guarantee a program will take the case. Through TexasLawHelp's Ask a Question page (opens in a new tab), Texans with low or modest incomes may get free answers from volunteer or program attorneys through Texas Free Legal Answers and LiveChat, subject to qualification and service limits.

Law school clinics and pro bono programs set their own eligibility and subject areas. Court self-help centers usually provide forms and procedural information rather than representation, and what they offer varies by court.

Warnings about notarios and other scams

The Federal Trade Commission warns (opens in a new tab) that in the United States, a notario or notary public is not a lawyer because of that title and cannot give immigration legal advice. Immigration legal advice may come from an immigration lawyer or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice who works for a recognized organization.

Warning signs include promises of guaranteed results or special access, requests to sign blank or inaccurate forms, requests to hand over original documents, charges for official USCIS forms that are free, and websites that imitate government sites without a .gov address. A person who claims to be a lawyer but has no state bar record is another signal. In Texas, Business and Commerce Code §17.46 (opens in a new tab) addresses the deceptive use of titles such as "notary public" or "immigration consultant" to imply authority to practice law, and the State Bar handles complaints about people not licensed as attorneys through its Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.

Language and accessibility

Ask about language needs when you first contact a referral service or firm. The State Bar of Texas referral service offers Spanish access, and TexasLawHelp has Spanish-language pages (opens in a new tab). For court hearings, Texas courts locate and schedule interpreters. The Texas Office of Court Administration's language access program (opens in a new tab) provides guidance, and its Texas Court Remote Interpreter Service (opens in a new tab) offers licensed Spanish, French, Portuguese and German interpreters to Texas courts at no cost for short, non-contested hearings, typically 30 minutes or less. Because it is a court service, you generally request it through the court. Texas Government Code Chapter 57 (opens in a new tab) covers court interpreters for people who speak a language other than English.

If a problem comes up with your lawyer

Different problems go to different places in Texas. For communication problems and smaller concerns, the State Bar's Client-Attorney Assistance Program (opens in a new tab), known as CAAP, offers confidential help at 800-932-1900. It cannot give legal advice, force a lawyer to act or recover fees.

For possible misconduct, a written grievance starts the Texas disciplinary process (opens in a new tab). The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel classifies it as an Inquiry or a Complaint, generally within 30 days, and a Complaint goes to the lawyer, who has 30 days from receipt to respond. A disagreement over the amount of a bill is usually handled differently: the State Bar's page on resolving fee disagreements (opens in a new tab) explains that local bar associations and dispute resolution centers may offer voluntary fee mediation or arbitration, which generally needs the lawyer's agreement.

Frequently asked questions about finding a lawyer

These answers add detail not covered above.

Does a referral service vouch for the lawyer it sends me to?

No. A referral service screens or routes your request under its program rules and connects you with a participating lawyer. The representation is a separate relationship between you and that lawyer.

What is the Texas Client Security Fund?

It is a State Bar of Texas fund for certain losses caused by a lawyer's dishonesty. Eligibility depends on the fund's rules, and it is not meant for ordinary dissatisfaction with legal work.

Can I get legal help in Texas if I live in another state?

TexasLawHelp publishes a Spanish-language page on legal help for people who do not live in Texas (opens in a new tab). Legal aid programs set their own residence rules, so ask each program whether it can take your matter.

Where do I report an immigration scam?

The FTC accepts fraud reports, and its Spanish reporting site is ReporteFraude.ftc.gov (opens in a new tab). In Texas, complaints about someone practicing law without a license go to the State Bar's Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.

Search for a law firm by practice area and city

Once you know the state and the type of matter, you can search our directory of law firms by practice area and city, then check each lawyer's license with the state bar before you call.