Legal services are free to seniors who do not have access to other public or private aid. Providers of federally-funded Legal Services for the Elderly in every borough assist with public benefits, landlord-tenant negotiations and long-term care and consumer issues.

Seniors in serious debt or delinquency can get help from the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE). The OFE makes referrals to credit counselors and legal services providers, including the Bankruptcy Assistance Project sponsored by Legal Services NYC. Seniors facing foreclosure can also obtain assistance from the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) or apply directly to the Foreclosure Assistance Project sponsored by Legal Services NYC.

Seniors at risk of eviction from their homes can receive free legal and social service assistance from the City's Assigned Counsel Program, a joint initiative of the Department for the Aging and the New York City Civil Court. Housing Courts refer appropriate seniors to the program.

Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) operates a financial justice hotline and also provides free legal advice to thousands of low-income New Yorkers on a wide array of consumer finance issues.  The Project’s major priority is to help persons facing discriminatory practices and debt-collection lawsuits.  In addition, NEDAP's Foreclosure Prevention Fund provides low-cost loans to eligible homeowners who are fighting foreclosure. 

Mediation is a process in which people in conflict try to work out disagreements with the assistance of trained professional mediators, often as an alternative to going to court. The New York Peace Institute offers free mediation services that help thousands of New Yorkers every year resolve a wide variety of issues, from civil matters to housing, family and interpersonal disputes. For more information, call 212-577-1740 in Manhattan or 718-834-6671 in Brooklyn.