Are there lawyers who specialize in handling foreclosures?

The organizations below will help eligible Californians for free or low-cost. If an organization in your area is not listed here, please follow the directions below and visit LawHelpCA.org to find help.

For California tenants:

Call the Tenant Foreclosure Hotline at 1-888-495-8020, sponsored by Tenants Together, California's statewide organization for renters' rights.

For California residents age 60 and over:

Call the Senior Legal Hotline -- a project of Legal Services of Northern California -- at 800-222-1753 or 916-551-2140. Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (closed 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.) 

For residents of Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba Counties:

The Marysville office of California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) has monthly workshops on foreclosure. Click here and scroll down to "Marysville" for a schedule or call 530-742-5191 for more information.

For Los Angeles County residents:

 Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) provides counsel and advice, referral, and, in a limited number of cases, direct representation, for qualified clients who live in their homes and are at risk of foreclosure. APALC focuses primarily on predatory lending and foreclosure rescue scams. We also assess for the feasibility of loan modifications and other alternatives to foreclosure for homeowners. Potential clients can reach APALC's Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project at (213) 977-7500 ext. 237 or through our Asian Language Legal Intake Project Hotlines. Chinese - (800) 520-2356; Khmer - (800) 867-3126, Korean - (800) 867-3640; and Vietnamese - (800) 267-7395. For more information, you can contact: M. Bob Kao, Staff Attorney, Asian Pacific American Legal Center at 213.241.0237 or bkao@apalc.org 

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles' (LAFLA) Consumer Unit provides counsel and advice, extended service and, in a limited number of cases, direct representation, for qualified clients who live in their homes and are facing foreclosure.  LAFLA focuses mainly on predatory lending, foreclosure rescue scams, and other foreclosure related problems liked forged deeds and fraudulent transfers.  Potential clients can reach LAFLA by contacting the Consumer Unit intake screener at (323) 801-7957.

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County's Housing & Consumer Unit provides counsel and advice, referral, and, in a limited number of cases, direct representation, for qualified clients who live in their homes and are at risk of foreclosure. Our service area covers the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Pomona and Antelope Valleys of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Pomona, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster.  NLS-LA represents select homeowners in cases involving predatory lending, foreclosure rescue scams, and fraud-related problems such as forged documents.  Homeowners in our service area can call our housing/consumer hotline at 800-433-6241.  In the Antelope Valley, homeowners can also walk in to our courthouse clinic in Room 3920 of the Lancaster Courthouse at 42011 4th St. West, Lancaster, CA 93534, Mondays and Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For Orange County residents:

The Legal Aid Society of Orange County (LASOC) provides counsel and advice, loan modification assistance, extended service and in some cases direct representation for qualified clients who are facing foreclosure.
LASOC focuses on predatory lending, foreclosure rescue scams, and other foreclosure related issues.  Potential clients can contact LASOC by contacting the Legal Aid Hotline at 714-571-5200 or 1-800-834-5001. There is no charge for our services.

The Public Law Center (PLC) provides counsel and advice, loan modification assistance and pro bono representation for qualified clients who are facing foreclosure. PLC focuses on predatory lending, foreclosure rescue scams, and other foreclosure related issues. Potential clients can attend one of our legal clinics at various locations throughout Orange County. To find the legal clinic nearest you contact PLC at 714-541-1010. There is no charge for our services. PLC can also be found online at www.publiclawcenter.org.

For residents of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties:

Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) currently files answers to unlawful detainer actions on behalf of former tenants and/or homeowners in Riverside County, and on behalf of tenants in San Bernardino County. Anyone seeking assistance should contact their housing hotline at: 951-368-2570 and toll free at: 888-455-4257.

For San Diego County residents:

The Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. provides legal services to eligible low-income residents of San Diego County.  Please call 877-534-2524 or visit their offices at 110 S. Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114.

For San Francisco County residents:

Contact the Anti-Predatory Lending Clinic at the University of San Francisco School of Law at 415-422-6752.

For San Mateo County residents:

Contact Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto at 650-326-6440. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

For Santa Clara County residents:

Contact the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley Fair Housing Law Project at 408-280-2470. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Contact Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto at 650-326-6440. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Use LawHelpCA.org to find a legal services organization in your area that provides assistance in housing matters, including foreclosure prevention.

LawHelpCA.org is a FREE website that helps the public find legal help and self-help information.  It contains a database of referrals to legal services organizations dedicated to working with low-income clients, seniors, and persons with disabilities.  The site also provides links to over 1,800 self-help legal resources anyone looking for information.

How to use LawHelpCA.org to find legal help

1. Go to LawHelpCA.org.
2. Click on "Housing."
3. Click on a subtopic. You will want to click on "Homeownership," "Foreclosure Prevention," "Predatory Lending," and/or "Landlord and Tenant Issues."
4. Enter your zip code, city, or county.
5. You will be presented with a list of organizations that might be able to help you.
6. Click on the title of that organization to view it's profile which contains contact information, services provided, and intake methods.

How to use LawHelpCA.org to find legal information

Follow steps 1-4 above. When presented with the list of referrals, click on the yellow tab on the left that reads, "Library of Self-Help Resources." Click on the title of a resource to view it in a separate window.

How to find information in other languages

Go to LawHelpCA.org. In the yellow column on the right-hand side of the page, click on one of the 30 languages listed. Next, click on a topic area. A list of resources will appear. Click on the title of a resource to view it in a separate window.

State Bar Certified Lawyer Referral Services

If you need to hire an attorney to handle your case or want to consult an attorney on a potential case, a certified lawyer referral service can put you in touch with a lawyer who can handle your problem. If your particular problem can be resolved without a lawyer, the referral service will tell you how to get the help you need. Be sure that the service is certified by the State Bar. Lawyer referral services which are certified follow certain rules which will protect you. A certified lawyer referral service may direct you to lawyers with experience in certain areas of the law such as foreclosure and housing issues. 

Certification Rules also encourage lawyer referral services to offer free and low cost legal help as well as lawyers who speak languages in addition to English.

You can locate a State Bar Certified Lawyer Referral Service by calling (toll free) 1-866-442-2529 or 866-44-CA-LAW. Also, you may click here and use the drop down menu to find programs in your county.

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