Legal aid organizations have different eligibility guidelines. These guidelines can include income, residency (where you live), and the type of case. 

Household Income Level

A common eligibility requirement is a household income level below 125% (and sometimes 200%) of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Pre-tax household income level and how many people live in your house determine your percentage. To find out where your household falls within the Federal Poverty Guidelines, check out TexasLawHelp's charts on the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which are based on numbers published every year by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. 

If the other party of your legal case lives with you, do not count their income as part of the household income and do not count them as part of the household. 

Residency

To qualify for most legal aid organizations in Texas, you must be a current resident. 

If you—or your spouse—are in the Armed Forces and temporarily stationed in another state or overseas, you are still a resident of where you live normally when you are not deployed. If that is Texas, then you are considered a Texas resident. 

Parents or guardians with a Texas custody order can still get help with visitation issues through TXAccess.org. 

Non-Texas residents can search the National Directory of Legal Aid Organizations or the American Bar Association's Legal Referral Service to find legal assistance. 

Other Eligibility Factors

There are specialized legal aid organizations/programs for communities such as veterans, sexual assault survivors, seniors, and people with disabilities. To qualify for those services, you would need to meet those requirements. 

Even if you qualify for legal aid that does not mean the organization will automatically take your case.