Client Testimonies

Maria

“It was very important to live as a family. We all help each other. Which is the main purpose of living together. I’m very thankful for Open Door Legal for keeping our family together.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I qualify?

Open Door Legal currently provides free legal representation to low-income adults for civil matters for those individuals who reside in Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, or 11 in San Francisco.

We define low-income as under 50% Area Median Income (AMI), as published by the city of San Francisco annually. 

We only represent individuals, not entities such as businesses or nonprofits. However, income-qualified small business owners are welcome to apply for assistance. For conflict-of-interest reasons we do not represent employers against employees or landlords against tenants, but we can provide referrals. We do not represent defendants in criminal court as this service is provided by the public defender. We do not represent people with Child Protective Service matters as this service is provided by appointed attorneys. Lastly, we do not represent people appearing in traffic court.

If you do not qualify for our services or are not sure if you qualify, please still fill out our intake form so we can provide you with referrals and other resources.

We are also a first-come, first-served legal organization in regards to conflicts of interest. We cannot ethically help both people who are adverse to each other. We will help the person that is eligible for our services and if both are eligible, then we will assist the person who fills out the form first. If we are conflicted from helping you, we will then provide a referral.

What happens if I’m outside of ODL’s Service Area?

Unfortunately, Open Door Legal has not raised enough money to provide services to income-qualified across San Francisco. If you are outside our service area, we will provide referrals to other legal aid organizations who may be able to assist you. We also encourage you to contact your elected officials and encourage them to support funding for universal access to legal services.

What happens after I complete my screening form?

Within 2 business days of submitting the online screening form, you will hear from a member of our Frontline Team. Then they will book you an intake with an attorney or legal staff member under the supervision of an attorney, at one of our 4 offices or remotely, based on your preference. Your intake meeting may be 2-8 weeks in the future based on the capacity of the team. The Frontline Team member will ask for more information, triage emergencies, and request documents pertaining to your situation. The Frontline Partners are not attorneys and cannot advise if your issue is one that ODL can help you with.

Does submitting the form guarantee that I will be given an attorney?

No. If you are eligible, and there is no ethical reason that we cannot have an intake with you, then you will get an intake meeting with an attorney or team member supervised by an attorney. At the intake, the case manager will tell you if you have a viable legal issue and if so, what scope of legal help ODL can provide for you. A viable legal issue is a legal cause of action supported by evidence that we can use to sue someone, apply for a change in legal status, or defend you. 

ODL is not your attorney until both you and an agent of ODL sign a legal agreement. Up until that agreement is signed, ODL does not represent you and is not liable for any deadlines related to your case.

I am unable to complete the screening form online. What should I do?

You may consider asking a family, friend, or caseworker for assistance, or you can come to any one of our offices to use one of our computers or iPads. Once in our office, our team can help you complete the form. We have limited capacity to help with the form over the phone. We can also provide a telephone interpretation service in-office if you need to fill out the form in a language other than English, Chinese, or Spanish.

Why do you need all my information asked on the screening form?

Details relating to your legal situation are confidential within the Open Door Legal team and computer system. That means that even if we do not open a case for you, we still must keep all your information confidential. We need the answers to these questions to better understand your situation and properly assess how we can help. In addition, this demographic information allows us to receive grants and funding that keep our doors open.

What do you need to know about being a client at ODL?

When ODL opens a case to assist with a client’s legal problem, the client agrees to partner with us on addressing this legal problem.  While we do not promise any particular outcome, our team works zealously to advocate for the client while following the rules for lawyers.  Likewise, our clients have a responsibility to partner with us, which includes treating one another with mutual respect, being honest with one another, and responding to one another’s communications.

Where are your offices and what are your walk-in hours?

Click here to view our office locations and walk-in hours!