Places that help, and what each one actually does. Every link goes to the
organization itself.
Free and low-cost legal help
Who the lawyers in a case actually represent
The National Crime Victim Law Institute publishes a short plain-language
reference on this:
Types of Attorneys Crime Victims May Encounter
(PDF, 3 pages). Worth reading before you talk to anyone, because the
roles are not what most people assume — in particular, it explains that
the prosecutor represents the government, not you, cannot give you
legal advice, and may be required to disclose what you tell them to the
other side; that victims’ rights attorneys exist as their own
specialty; and that U and T visas can give noncitizen crime victims a
path to legal status, which is an immigration attorney’s territory.
Crisis lines
- 911 if you are in danger right now.
- NJ Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-572-7233 — free, confidential,
24 hours.
- 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call or text.
- NJ 211 — dial 2-1-1 for housing, food, utility and social-service
referrals statewide.
Start-here guides on this site
This site is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice — it is a
list of doors. The organizations above are independent of this site.
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