Justice Atlas

Free Legal Aid in Michigan

6 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers serve Michigan with $15,981,424 in federal legal-aid funding (FY2025) — per the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation data.

Last updated: June 21, 2026 · Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation (FY2025)

6
LSC-funded providers
$15,981,424
Federal allocation (FY2025)
1,326,739
Poverty population served
This page is a reference directory of which LSC-funded providers operate in Michigan. It informs and routes to free civil legal help. It does not give legal advice, represent clients, or predict case outcomes. To get help, contact the providers listed below or use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org.

Where do I get free legal aid in Michigan?

6 LSC-funded civil legal-aid providers receive federal Legal Services Corporation funding to serve income-eligible residents of Michigan. The primary program type is Basic Field (5 providers). All listed organizations offer free or reduced-cost civil legal help. Eligibility is typically set at 125% of the federal poverty level.

Program type Providers Share
Basic Field 5 71%
Agricultural Worker 1 14%
Native American 1 14%

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025.

Which organizations provide free legal aid in Michigan?

The following public legal-aid organizations are LSC-funded grantees serving Michigan. Contact them directly for intake. This list routes to them — it does not constitute legal representation. One row per LSC service-area grant — an organization may hold more than one (the 6 organizations below hold 7 grants).

Organization Program type Service area Allocation (FY2025)
Lakeshore Legal Aid Basic Field MI-13 $6,213,347
Legal Aid of Western Michigan Basic Field MI-15 $2,885,740
Michigan Advocacy Program Basic Field MI-12 $2,445,571
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan Basic Field MI-14 $2,270,726
Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc. Basic Field MI-9 $1,199,133
Michigan Advocacy Program Agricultural Worker MMI $718,716
Michigan Indian Legal Services, Inc. Native American NMI-1 $248,191

Source: LSC Basic Field Grant Allocation, FY2025. Provider names are public LSC grantees.

How much federal funding does Michigan receive for legal aid?

LSC-funded providers in Michigan received $15,981,424 in total federal legal-aid grant funding in FY2025, serving a poverty population of approximately 1,326,739 residents eligible for LSC-funded services.

Sources & provenance

Every figure on this page comes from the Legal Services Corporation Basic Field Grant Allocation (source id src:lsc:basic-field-grant-allocation:2026), FY2025, published by the Legal Services Corporation: lsc.gov/grants-grantee-resources/our-grant-programs/basic-field-grants.

Provider names listed are public LSC grantees. Allocation figures are FY2025 federal grant amounts. Poverty population figures reflect LSC-defined service areas and are omitted where not reported.

Data exported June 21, 2026 · content hash 465eae6839604992 · machine-readable brief: /justice/states/mi.context.md

Get help now: Use lsc.gov/find-legal-aid or lawhelp.org to find a legal aid provider in your area and begin the intake process. This page does not provide legal advice or representation.

Recorded · Civil statute of limitations

How long you have to file a civil claim in Michigan

Read this before the table — it matters more than the numbers.

These are the statutes as written. They are not your deadline. When the clock starts (the “accrual” date) and whether it pauses (tolling, the discovery rule, a minor or incapacity) depends on the specific facts of your situation — and a missed deadline can permanently and irreversibly bar your claim. If you think you may have a claim, do not rely on this page to calculate your time: talk to a licensed attorney in Michigan right away. This atlas informs and routes; it is not legal advice and not a lawyer.

Michigan sets a statute of limitations for each kind of civil claim — the window, counted from when the claim accrues, within which a lawsuit must be filed. Below are 9 common civil claim types (the shortest is 1 year), shortest deadline first.

Claim type Time limit Statute
Defamation (libel / slander)
1 year
Fraudulent-concealment tolling under § 600.5855.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805
Medical malpractice
2 years (or 6 months from discovery); max 6 years
discovery rule repose 6 years
Fraudulent-concealment and reproductive-organ exceptions; minor tolling under § 600.5851.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805; § 600.5838a
Personal injury
3 years
Assault, battery, false imprisonment have 2-year limit under § 600.5805(2).
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805
Product liability
3 years
Realty-improvement repose under § 600.5839 (6 years occupancy or 1 year discovery within 6).
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805
Property damage
3 years
Standard tolling for minors and incapacity under § 600.5851.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805
Wrongful death
3 years (saving period under § 600.5852)
Saving statute allows 2 years from issuance of letters of authority within outer limits.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5805; § 600.5852
Contract oral
6 years
UCC 4-year limit for sales of goods.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807
Contract written
6 years
Sales of goods governed by UCC 4-year limit.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5807
Fraud
6 years
Fraudulent-concealment tolling under § 600.5855 (2 years from discovery).
Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.5813

What these figures are

  • RECORDED — each period and statute citation is the statute as written; verify it at the linked official code. Last verified 2026-04-29.
  • NOT YOUR DEADLINE — accrual, tolling, the discovery rule, and exceptions make your actual deadline fact-specific. Only a licensed attorney can tell you your date.

Find help: free civil legal-aid in Michigan · ABA lawyer referral · source: CaseFleet Civil Statute-of-Limitations Reference (2026)

Michigan across the Atlas Commons

The same state, in the other source-backed Atlas Commons domains.