Application for Free Legal Services

If you are a survivor of intimate partner violence and cannot afford to hire a lawyer, St. Louis Survivors Legal Support (SLSLS) may be able to help.

We provide free legal representation to assist eligible survivors with:

Orders of Protection (OP) against an abusive partner, and
Custody determinations involving children they share with that partner.

What is an Order of Protection (OP)? An OP is a court order designed to help keep you safe. It can prohibit an abusive person from contacting or communicating with you. Violating an OP can result in criminal penalties.

Need help filing an OP right away? If you have not yet filed a petition for an OP and would like assistance, please call us at 314-NOW-STOP (314-669-7867).

To apply for SLSLS's services, please complete this application. If you already have a court date, it is important that you complete your application and submit all required documents as soon as possible. The earlier we receive your materials, the more time we have to try to match you with a volunteer attorney before your court date. A member of our team will review your submission and follow up with you as soon as possible. This application is confidential and will only be reviewed by SLSLS staff and, if accepted, your attorney(s). If completing this form may put your safety at risk, please use a safe device and location or call us directly.

SLSLS represents clients in OP and related custody matters in St. Louis County only. We can also connect applicants with referrals and resources for additional support, including housing, counseling, safety planning, employment assistance, and more.

SLSLS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Completing this application does not guarantee legal representation. Services are provided based on eligibility, organizational capacity, and other factors.

💡 Tip: You can use the Back button to review answers before submitting.

INITIAL OVERVIEW

What is your first name?

What is your last name?

What is your date of birth?

What is the opposing party's full name?

If there are multiple opposing parties, please list each of their full names.

What is the opposing party's date of birth?

If there are multiple opposing parties, please list each of their dates of birth and specify which date goes with which party.

Is your case in St. Louis County Circuit Court?*

For a case to be in St. Louis County Circuit Court, at least one of the following must be true: (a) the domestic violence occurred in St. Louis County, (b) you live in St. Louis County, or (c) the respondent (the person that abused you) "can be found" in St. Louis County.

Yes No

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Do you have access to resources to hire a lawyer?*

Yes No

If applicable, please state your job title and the name of your employer.

What is your gross income?

Indicate annually, monthly, bi-weekly or hourly

How many dependents do you have?

Are there any other extenuating circumstances that make it such that you cannot afford to hire a private attorney?

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

What is your relationship to the opposing party?*

If there are multiple opposing parties, please choose "Other" and indicate your relationship with each.

Spouse Ex-spouse Current/former romantic partner Other

ORDER OF PROTECTION

CONTACT EMA

Please call us at 314-NOW-STOP (314-669-7867) if you would like assistance completing your petition.

PETITION INFORMATION

What is the case number?*

This is the number at the top right of your order that starts with 25SL-PN... If there are multiple OPs, please list all case numbers.

When is your court date?*

What time is your hearing?*

What courtroom is your hearing in?*

CLIENT INFORMATION

What is the best phone number for you?*

Please include the area code. If you have more than one, write both and indicate which is your primary number.

Is it safe for SLSLS to text you at this number?*

Yes No

What is your email address?*

What is your residential address?*

Street, city, and state only. Zip code in next question.

What is your zip code?*

Please provide the name and number of an emergency contact in the event we cannot reach you.*

What is your age?*

APPLICANT DEMOGRAPHICS

As a nonprofit, SLSLS gathers and tracks applicant demographic information. You are not required to answer the questions in this section, but your answers (or non-answers) will not affect your application.

OPPOSING PARTY INFORMATION

If there are multiple opposing parties, please provide the requested information for each party. For each question, clearly specify the party to which the information belongs.

What is the opposing party's residential address?*

Please include: city, state, and zip code

If applicable, state their job title and the name of their employer.*

What is the opposing party's work address?*

Has the opposing party ever lived out of state?*

Yes No

If yes, where did they live?

CHILDREN

Do you have children?*

Yes No

CHILDREN IN THE HOME

Do your children live in your home?*

Yes No

CHILDREN IN COMMON

Do you have children in common with the opposing party?*

Yes No

CHILD ORDERS OF PROTECTION

Are you or the opposing party seeking a Child OP?*

Yes No

CHILD IN COMMON

Is it for a child who is also the child of the opposing party?*

Yes No

CUSTODY

The following questions help us understand whether we can assist with custody. Not all applicants will be eligible, and answering 'no' will not affect your OP application.

Are you seeking help from SLSLS with a custody determination involving your children?*

Yes No

CUSTODY - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

How are you interested in seeking custody?*

As part of my Order of Protection As a separate custody case

SEPARATE CUSTODY CASE

What type of custody case would you be filing?*

Dissolution of marriage (we are married) Paternity case (we are not married)

CHILD IN COMMON - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Is there a pending or prior custody case pertaining to that child?*

Yes No

PRIOR CUSTODY DETERMINATION

Please provide the case number of the pending or prior custody case.*

Have you had prior legal representation in that case?*

Yes No

If there is a scheduled trial date, when is it set?

LETHALITY ASSESSMENT

PRIOR OPs

To your knowledge, has anyone else ever filed an OP against the opposing party?

If so, please provide any information you have relating to that matter.

Please provide the case number(s) from any prior OP cases between you and the opposing party, and indicate whether a full OP was granted.

CRIMINAL HISTORY

To your knowledge, does the opposing party have a criminal history?

If so, please state the crime(s) with which they were charged, the state in which they were charged, and whether they have been convicted/found guilty.

Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

If so, please state the crime you were convicted of and the year of conviction.

Do you currently have any warrants pending against you?

If so, SLSLS may be able to assist you with them.

REFERRALS

How did you hear about St. Louis Survivors Legal Support?*

If you are interested in career counseling or employment services, do we have your permission to share your name and contact information with our partner agency, the MERS Goodwill ACCESS Program?*

This is a program that provides free employment services but it does not guarantee employment. If you choose Yes, this is the only outside agency with whom we would share your contact info.

Yes No

NEXT STEPS

Email the following documents to kylie.cain@slsls.org:

A copy of your driver's license, and
If a petition has already been filed, every page of the petition(s).

Your application is not complete until you have submitted these documents per the instructions below.

If you already have a court date, it is important that you complete your application and submit all required documents as soon as possible. The earlier we receive your materials, the more time we have to try to match you with a volunteer attorney before your court date.

Instructions for scanning and emailing a document as a PDF in Gmail on an iPhone:

Step 1: Open the Scan Feature

In the email body, double-tap the screen to open the options menu. Swipe through the options and tap "Scan Document."

Step 2: Scan Your Document

Hold your phone over the document so the white page fits inside the screen.

Your phone will automatically take a picture, or you can tap the shutter button (the white circle) to take the photo manually.

Step 3: Adjust the Scan

If the scan looks good, tap "Keep Scan." If not, tap "Retake" and try again.

If you have more pages to scan, tap "+" to add another page and scan it.

When you're done scanning all the pages, tap "Save."

Step 4: Check and Send

Your scanned pages will be saved as a single PDF file and attached to your email.

Tap on the file to make sure all pages are included and facing the right way. If needed, use the rotate option before saving.

When everything looks good, tap the "Send" button.

I understand.

Please email kylie.cain@slsls.org either or both of the following:

These are not required but may be very helpful to any lawyer SLSLS provides.

A timeline of the abuse that includes the approximate dates, locations, brief descriptions of what happened, and a description of any evidence and/or witnesses you have of each incident. Evidence of abuse, such as: photos of injuries and/or damaged property, videos, voicemails, screenshots of abusive communications via text/email/social media, medical records, police reports, etc. Please note: SLSLS has limited capacity to review and organize large amounts of evidence. Please only send a reasonable amount of files, and organize and label each file to the best of your ability.

Outside our Service Area

Unfortunately, SLSLS does not currently provide legal representation outside of St. Louis County. If you would like to be connected with resources for additional support, including housing, counseling, safety planning, or employment assistance, visit slsls.org/additional-resources or call us at 314-NOW-STOP (314-669-7867).