Legal Aid serves low-income residents of San Mateo County with civil legal matters including health care, housing, public benefits, special education services, domestic violence, immigration, and elder abuse. We are unable to assist with traffic tickets or criminal cases (including DUI's). To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer, please call (650) 558-0915.
If you need legal assistance in a criminal case, please contact the San Mateo Bar Association Private Defenders Office: (650) 298-4000.
Help with Healthcare
We help clients access healthcare and health insurance and provide advice on issues relating to:
- Medi-Cal & Denti-Cal
- Medicare
- In-Home Supportive Services
- Medicare Savings Programs
- Significant medical debt due to a lack of health insurance coverage
The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County's Health Consumer Center helps low-income San Mateo residents navigate the maze of today’s healthcare system with the ultimate goal of improving access to quality healthcare and health insurance coverage in our community. The Health Consumer Center is an affiliate of the Health Consumer Alliance, a partnership of consumer assistance programs operated by community-based legal services organizations whose common mission is to help Californians obtain essential health care.
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help with Public Benefits
We help clients access essential public benefits including:
- CalWORKS (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program)
- Social Security retirement, survivor and disability benefits
- SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
- Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
- CalFresh (food stamps)
- California Food Assistance Program
- General Assistance (GA)
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help for Children with Disabilities
We help children with disabilities access essential services including:
- Special Education/Individualized Education Program (IEP)
- Supplemental security income (SSI)
- Mental and behavioral health care through Behavioral Health & Recovery Service
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help for Adults with Disabilities
We help adults with disabilities with:
- County mental health
- Government benefits
- Medical bills
- Accommodation requests
- Transit and paratransit
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help for Survivors of Domestic Violence
We help:
- Teen parents and seniors (60 and over) with getting and enforcing restraining orders and getting initial child custody & visitation orders in the restraining order proceeding
- Adult domestic violence survivors who have filed for a restraining order with finding free attorney to help with their hearings
- Domestic violence survivors of all ages with accessing healthcare and safety net benefits for themselves and their children, challenging housing discrimination related to the domestic violence, and immigration issues
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help with Housing
We help clients avoid homelessness including assistance with:
- Public, subsidized (including Section 8 and other HUD subsidized projects) and private housing
- Fair housing and housing discrimination
- Housing conditions
- Rent control
- Eviction defense
- Lock-outs and utility shut-off
- Residential hotels
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.
Help for Seniors
We help seniors with:
- Government benefits including Social Security, SSI, Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI)
- Elder abuse
- Consumer law and debt collection
- Estate planning and simple wills
- Guardianships for seniors caring for young children
- Advanced healthcare directives, so that individuals can appoint caregivers with power of attorney to make healthcare decisions on their behalf
To schedule an appointment to see a Legal Aid lawyer please call (650) 558-0915.