Get Help/Ayuda
Because of staffing capacity and Children’s Law Center closure, our intake line will be closed from Friday, July 4 to Monday, July 21. We will not be answering calls or responding to online intake forms. You will not be able to leave voicemails or fill out an online form until July 21.
If you are a current client, please reach out directly to your assigned attorney.
If you have a housing conditions emergency prior to July 21, you can reach out to:
- Call 311 for City Services
- The Department of Buildings (DOB) at 202-671-3500 or DC Department of Buildings.
- Call the Office of Attorney General (OAG) Consumer Mediation Program hotline at 202-442-9828 or submit a consumer complaint.
- You can file a case in Housing Conditions Court, including with a Temporary Restraining Order for an emergency hearing. More information on the Court’s website here and tips for self-represented filing here.
- Don’t have air conditioning? DC renters have a right to AC if their landlord provides it in the lease. AC should cool to below 78 degrees or at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature (whichever is cooler). You can contact the OAG Consumer Mediation hotline or the Department of Buildings for assistance.
If you have an emergency related to your child’s school, you can reach out to:
- Advocates for Justice in Education at 202-678-8060 or Home – Advocates for Justice and Education
- The Office of Student Advocate 202-741-4692 or student.advocate@dc.gov or studentadvocate.dc.gov
We wish everyone a safe holiday and summertime.
Do you need legal help? Children’s Law Center provides free legal services to low-income parents and caregivers in the following areas:
- Access to healthcare issues for children
- Adult guardianship
- Child disability-related issues such as SSI applications and SSI appeals
- Education and special education
- Housing conditions
- Powers of attorney and assisted decision-making
- Third-party caregiver cases (non-parents, such as a grandparent or other caregiver, seeking custody, guardianship, or adoption of a child(ren)). * Please note that intakes for third-party caregiver cases are currently paused.
Children’s Law Center cannot help with:
- Criminal Cases
- Custody cases between two parents
- Child Support
We only provide attorneys and legal representation for cases in DC. We do not provide attorneys for cases in Maryland or Virginia, but you may still fill out the form or call us as we may be able to provide referrals in those states for certain legal areas.
Estimated response time: We will get back to you within 3 business days. We cannot provide exact timing for how long it will take for us to make a decision on accepting your case as it will depend on your case needs. We will discuss this more with you during our intake process.
Children’s Law Center accepts referrals from our medical and legal organization partners, or you can request help by:
- Filling out the form down below.
- Calling 202-467-4900 x502. We will check this voicemail on Monday or Thursday each week.
If you have any issues completing the form below, click here to complete the form in a new tab.