Low-Cost Legal Resources in Dane County 

Post Office Box 44008
Madison, WI 53744-4008
Phone: (608) 848-1950
Fax: (608) 848- 9266
Email: Bob@dcba.net or Le@dcba.net
Hours: No regular office hours. Call between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Legal Assistance - Volunteer attorneys mediate civil and family law cases (financial issues only) filed in Dane County Circuit Court through voluntary or court ordered mediation.

Eligibility - Open to all parties with litigation pending in the Dane County Circuit Court.

Costs - Filing fee for mediation is $75.00 per party

Contact - Bob or Le Jordan

Staff - Volunteer attorneys who are members of Dane County Bar Assocation.

Publication - Web site - http://www.dcba.net/programs/CaseMediationProgram.html

Dane County Courthouse
Room 2030
215 S. Hamilton Street
Madison, WI 53703-3282
Phone: (608) 266-4607

Legal Assistance - provides Dane County residents with mediation and evaluation services to assist in resolving custody and physical placements disputes in both divorce and paternity cases. Custody concerns decision making powers while physical placement concerns where the child(ren) spends time. In addition to these services, FCCS also offers a resource book available for $3.00, which further explains the Family Court system.

Eligibility - Dane county residents

Costs - No fees initially, but there may be costs later on in the mediation process.

Contact - Nancy A. Stanel, Administrative Support Staff

Staff -  staffed by a director, two administrative staff people, and nine family court counselors (including the director). All Family Court Counselors have completed mediation training, had prior clinical experience with families, and obtained at least a Master's degree in the behavioral sciences

Publications - Web site - http://www.countyofdane.com/familycourtcounseling/ 
Dane County Family Resource Booklet - http://www.countyofdane.com/familycourtcounseling/pdf/fc_resource.pdf

215 South Hamilton St.
Room L1007
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: (608) 266-6316
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 to 4:30

Legal Assistance - DCLRC serves the legal information needs of judges, attorneys, and the general public by providing reference and research assistance, training, and forms sales and distribution. The Center also assists the Dane County Sheriff's Department with providing legal information to inmates of the Dane County Jail. Borrowing privileges are available to court staff, licensed attorneys, federal, state, and city government agency employees. Borrower cards obtained at DCLRC can also be used at the Wisconsin State Law Library. . DCLRC reference staff can help users in the library or answer questions via phone, mail, or email. Resource Center staff cannot give legal advice but can refer users to other local agencies who can offer legal assistance.

Eligibility - Judges, attorneys and the general public.

Costs - No costs, except for legal forms that are available for purchase or for document delivery.

Contact - Lisa Winkler, Reference/Outreach Services Librarian.

Staff - Two librarians.

Publications -

Website at: http://wilawlibrary.gov/about/locations.html
Low-Cost Legal Assistance In Dane County - http://wilawlibrary.gov/branch/dclrc/pub/dclegalassist.pdf
Dane County Family Law Resource Guide: http://wilawlibrary.gov/branch/dclrc/pub/familylaw.pdf
Dane County Landlord/Tenant Legal Resource Guide - http://wilawlibrary.gov/branch/dclrc/pub/landlord.pdf

PO Box 1761
Madison, WI 53701

Phone: (608) 251-1237

Email: info@abuseintervention.org
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
[Crisis lines open 24 hours : (608) 251-4445; 1-800-747-4045]

Legal Assistance- Advocacy, accompaniment to court hearings and attorney referral for domestic abuse victims who are involved in divorce and custody cases, charged with crimes which may be related to domestic abuse, or seeking restraining orders

Eligibility - Victims of domestic violence and their children.

Costs - Free services

Contact - Ask to speak to a legal advocate.

Staff - Two full time and one part time legal advocates. Not attorneys.

Publications - Web site - http://www.abuseintervention.org/index.html
Numerous brochures dealing with various aspects of domestic abuse. Call for details.

Assembly Room L-1000 of the Dane County Courthouse
215 South Hamilton Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Phone: (608) 262-2030
Email : ldshear@facstaff.wisc.edu
Hours: Wednesday 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Legal Assistance - Dane County Bar Association Program offers: assistance with forms and procedures related to family court; referrals to community resources; no legal advice

Eligibility - Unrepresented family law litigants. No income guidelines.

Costs - Free services

Contact - Attorney Leslie Shear at ldshear@facstaff.wisc.edu

Staff - Volunteer attorneys, paralegals and law students. Spanish-speaking volunteers are available the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month.

Publications - Web site - http://www.co.dane.wi.us/clrkcort/prepare/assistance.aspx

Location varies. Contact for appointment.
Phone: : (608) 262-9142 or 608) 262-2301

Legal Assistance - UW Law School project offers assistance with divorce and other family court proceedings. Assistance includes: Observe court hearings and mediations; Assist unrepresented family law litigants with completing forms, and understanding the court process in a particular case; Develop and use written materials to guide litigants and to use in educational workshops;Provide individual representation in selected cases

Eligibility - People with limited incomes involed in a divorce or another type of family court proceeding.

Costs - Free services

Contact - Attorney Marsha Mansfield

Staff - Law students under the supervision of Marsha Mansfield, director and clinical assistant professor at the UW-Law School.

Publications -- Web Site - http://www.law.wisc.edu/fjr/clinicals/fcap.html

31 South Mills Street
Madison, WI 53715
Phone: (608) 256-3304 or 1-800-362-3904
Fax: (608) 256-0510
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.*

Legal Assistance - Public benefits/Health law ( i.e. Wisconsin works [W-2],Supplemental Security Income [SSI], Food Stamps, Medicaid)Family law ( i.e. divorce, child support, custody) Senior law (i.e. medicare, social security, elder abuse)Housing (i.e. landlord-tenant, public and subsidized housing, rent control) Education (i.e. expulsion and suspension, school lunch program denials) Migrant Project (legal services to migrant farmers)Jobs/economic law (i.e. removal of legal barriers to employment)

Eligibility - Low income individuals and families. See http://www.badgerlaw.net/Home/PublicWeb/LAW/IncomeEligibilityPage for income guidelines

Costs - Free services for qualified, income-eligible persons

Contact - No particular contact person

Staff - Attorneys and paralegals

Publication - Web site - http://www.legalaction.org/legalservices.htm

Note* - Walk in service, but times of service vary depending on the type of assistance that is needed.

Frank J. Remington Center
University of Wisconsin Law School
975 Bascom Mall, Room 4318
Madison, WI 53703-2208
Phone: (608) 262-1002
Email: mjross1@facstaff.wisc.edu
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Legal Assistance - Civil legal services to inmates as part of a UW Law School clinical program including: Inmates in minimum-security institutions in the Wisconsin Prison System; Inmates in county jails in Wisconsin; Patients in mental health centers in Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Resource Center; Inmates in prisons or jails outside of Wisconsin; Individuals on probation or parole supervision; or Any individuals who are not incarcerated.

Eligibility - Prisoners in maximum or medium-security prisons and prisoners in the federal prison at Oxford, Wisconsin.

Costs - Free services

Contact - Meredith Ross, Director. Inmates seeking assistance from LAIP must complete an "interview/information request form" (form # DOC-643) available at the particular institution. Inmates are scheduled for interviews on a "first come, first served" basis, and should bring relevant documents to the interview if possible. LAIP may decline to interview inmates who have already been assisted.

Staff - UW law students under supervision of the director, Meredith Ross, an attorney and Clinical Associate Professor, along with twelve supervising attorneys who are full-time clinical faculty members of the Law School.

Publications - Information available on a sub page of the UW Law School's web site at http://www.law.wisc.edu/FJR/laip/index.htm.

Student Activity Center
Office #3111
333 East Campus Mall
Madison, WI 53715
Phone: (608) 263-3243
Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm*

Legal Assistance - UW law students offer information about the law surrounding specific legal issues and provide referrals. Cannot offer legal advice, but will provide referrals to attorneys and advocates authorized to give such advice

Eligibility - UW Madison Students, faculty, staff and residents of the Madison community.

Costs - Free services

Contact - No particular contact person

Staff - UW law student volunteers

Publication - Web site - http://www.thelegalinformationcenter.com; LIC Referral Handbook (List of Wisconsin community resources for legal assistance)

Note* - The LIC is only open during the University’s Fall and Spring semesters. These hours are subject to volunteer availability, so please call before visiting office.

600 Williamson Street
Madison, WI 53703-3588
(608) 255-8582
Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-9:00pm; Saturday 12:00pm-4pm
Email: harrys@lgbtoutreach.org

Legal Assistance - Discrimination and family issues surrounding LGBT families

Eligibility -LGBT people and their families.

Staff - Includes counselors and pro bono attorneys.

Publications: Website at https://www.lgbtoutreach.org

https://prosefamily.wicourts.gov

Web site designed to assist those proceeding pro se in a divorce or legal separation. Includes a freely available set of standardized family court forms.