Kansas Legal Services

Kansas Legal Services is a statewide nonprofit providing free legal assistance to low- and moderate-income Kansans through eleven offices serving all 105 counties. The organization helps over 18,000 people annually with family law, housing, consumer debt, criminal matters, and estate planning, with nearly 70 percent of clients being women seeking to protect their families.

About

Kansas Legal Services is a statewide nonprofit law firm dedicated to providing free legal assistance to low- and moderate-income Kansans. Based in Topeka, the organization serves all 105 counties across Kansas through eleven legal services offices and two mediation offices, helping more than 18,000 people annually with critical legal problems and mediation services.

The organization's roots trace back to the 1920s and 1930s, when the American Bar Association first recognized the need for legal assistance to those with limited means. Legal aid societies were formally established in Topeka, Wichita, and Kansas City in the mid-1960s and early 1970s under the Office of Economic Opportunity. Following the creation of the Legal Services Corporation in 1975, these three regional societies consolidated in 1977 to form Kansas Legal Services, Inc., the primary legal aid organization in Kansas today.

Kansas Legal Services operates under a clear mission: to ensure equal access to justice for the most vulnerable members of the community, regardless of income. The firm serves working families, veterans, homeowners and renters, people with disabilities, and older adults. Nearly 70 percent of its clients are women, many seeking legal help to protect their children and maintain family stability.

The organization provides assistance across a broad range of legal matters affecting low-income households. These include family law issues such as divorce, child custody, and protection from abuse orders; housing and tenant rights; consumer and debt problems; criminal matters and record expungement; and estate planning and wills. Kansas Legal Services also maintains a wide retainer contract system with support from the Kansas Bar Association, extending its capacity to serve eligible clients throughout the state.

Beyond individual case representation, Kansas Legal Services offers community resources designed to help people navigate the legal system independently. The firm provides free, interactive legal forms that guide users through common procedures and automatically generate documents needed for filing in Kansas district courts. The organization also operates expungement and driver's license reinstatement clinics throughout the year at various locations across Kansas, offering free, guided assistance to eligible residents seeking to clear criminal records or restore suspended licenses.

Kansas Legal Services additionally stands ready to provide emergency legal assistance following disasters in Kansas, including fires, tornadoes, wind events, and other emergencies that leave residents facing legal challenges.

Prospective clients can apply for legal assistance by calling 316-267-3975 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by submitting an online application, available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The organization maintains a nondiscrimination policy and welcomes grievances through its formal client grievance procedure.

Overview compiled from the firm's website