Legal Aid for Divorce in Arkansas: Free and Low-Cost Resources

ARLawHelp: Free Form Assembly for Low-Income Filers

ARLawHelp.org is the main free legal resource for pro se divorce filers in Arkansas. Run by Legal Aid of Arkansas and supported by the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, it offers interactive interviews that generate court-ready PDFs based on your answers.

You answer questions about your situation — county of residence, whether children are involved, the ground for divorce — and the system populates the correct forms with your information. The output includes the Complaint for Divorce, Domestic Relations Cover Sheet, and other standard documents.

Eligibility: Most ARLawHelp tools are available regardless of income for basic form generation. However, direct legal assistance from Legal Aid of Arkansas attorneys is income-restricted — generally to households earning below 125%–200% of the federal poverty level, depending on the specific program.

The gap: ARLawHelp gives you the forms, but it doesn't provide a filing sequence, county-specific instructions, or guidance on strategic decisions like which statutory ground to use. The forms come out as blank-field PDFs with legal language — you're expected to know what to do with them.

Legal Aid of Arkansas: Direct Attorney Assistance

Legal Aid of Arkansas provides free legal representation to qualifying low-income residents across the state. For divorce cases, they may be able to:

• Represent you in an uncontested divorce from start to finish
• Help you draft a Marital Settlement Agreement
• Advise you on child custody and support issues
• Assist with protective orders in domestic violence situations

Contact Legal Aid of Arkansas at 1-800-952-9243 or through their website to check eligibility. Due to high demand, they may not be able to take every qualifying case — prioritization goes to cases involving domestic violence, child safety, and other urgent circumstances.

The Arkansas Courts Website

ArkCourts.gov is the official website of the Arkansas Judiciary. It publishes administrative orders, the domestic relations benchbook, standard form templates, and local court rules. Everything here is authoritative and current.

The limitation is that it's written for attorneys, not self-represented filers. Administrative Order No. 10 (child support guidelines) and Administrative Order No. 8 (cover sheet requirements) are essential references, but they're dense legal documents that assume you know how to navigate the court system.

Circuit clerks are also legally prohibited from providing procedural advice or helping you fill out forms — they can accept your filing and tell you the fee, but they can't answer questions about which forms you need or what to write in them.

Access and Visitation Mediation Program

If your divorce involves disputes over custody, visitation, or child support, Arkansas offers the Access and Visitation Mediation Program through the Arkansas Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission.

The program provides up to six hours of free or income-based sliding-scale mediation with a certified mediator. It's specifically designed to help parents reach agreements on child-related issues without going through a contested trial.

This program covers child-related issues only — it doesn't address property division, debt allocation, or overall divorce strategy. But resolving custody and visitation through mediation can convert an otherwise contested divorce into an uncontested one, dramatically reducing your costs and timeline.

Unbundled Legal Services

If you don't qualify for free legal aid but can't afford full attorney representation ($500–$1,500 for uncontested, $6,000–$15,000+ for contested), many Arkansas family law attorneys offer unbundled or limited-scope services.

With unbundled representation, you hire an attorney for specific tasks rather than the entire case:

• Reviewing your Marital Settlement Agreement for legal issues ($200–$400)
• Drafting the Complaint for Divorce ($150–$300)
• Coaching you on what to expect at a prove-up hearing ($100–$200)
• Calculating child support under Administrative Order No. 10 ($100–$200)

You handle the rest yourself — filing, service, financial disclosures, and finalization. This middle path gives you attorney oversight on the parts that carry the most legal risk while keeping costs manageable.

Filing Fee Relief: In Forma Pauperis

If you can't afford the $165 filing fee, you can petition the court for In Forma Pauperis (IFP) status under Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure. You'll need to file a Petition for Leave to Proceed IFP along with a sworn Financial Affidavit disclosing your income, assets, and expenses.

If the judge grants IFP status, the court waives the filing fee and other court costs. The petition must be signed in front of a notary — an unsigned or unnotarized petition will be rejected.

The Arkansas Divorce Filing Process Guide fills the gap between free forms and full legal representation — step-by-step instructions, filing checklists, and worksheets for every stage of an uncontested Arkansas divorce.

See more Arkansas guides →