Currently, people are entitled to a free lawyer if they can’t afford one only in criminal cases. The indigent can try to obtain legal representation for other types of legal troubles—like bankruptcy and child custody—from legal aid organizations. However, those groups lack the resources to help approximately a million applicants a year.
Proposals passed or being considered in states including New York, Georgia, and Kentucky would give the right to a free lawyer to people who qualify in cases in which they’re facing eviction or foreclosure, involuntary mental treatment, or in which their parental-rights are at stake.