The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice—in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.
Legal Funding for Abortion Patients, Providers, and Supporters
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upended the legal landscape around abortion when it overturned Roe v. Wade. Those who get caught up in this post-Roe legal chaos because they sought abortion care or helped someone else obtain an abortion can now seek help from the Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund.
The fund is designed to help people pay for certain legal expenses they are facing because they are Abortion Patients, Supporters, or Providers—individuals and entities who sought abortion, provided abortion, or helped someone obtain an abortion or information about abortion care.
We believe that anyone who has needed abortion care or helped someone obtain it deserves legal representation, regardless of their ability to pay. Our goal is to expand the resources available for this purpose for those who cannot otherwise afford to defend themselves.
This page contains resources for Abortion Patients and Supporters, and Providers.
Abortion Patients include any individual who has sought abortion, information about abortion, or assistance obtaining an abortion.
Abortion Supporters include individuals or organizations that have tried to help someone seeking an abortion.
You could be an abortion supporter, for example, if you:
-
- are an abortion fund or work for one,
- are a practical support organization or work for one,
- are a friend or family member of an abortion patient, or
- are a teacher or social worker,
and have in any way helped someone obtain an abortion or information about one.
Abortion Providers include health care professionals or entities that have provided abortion care to an individual.
You could be an abortion provider, for example, if you:
-
- are a physician, nurse, or other clinician, or
- are staff or other personnel at a health care facility that provides abortions,
and have in any way helped someone obtain an abortion or information about one.
Application Information
The AALDF helps cover legal costs for people facing consequences related to seeking or supporting abortion when they can’t afford it.
Patients
Have you sought information about or access to abortion?
Supporters
Have you helped someone obtain an abortion or information about abortion?
Providers
Have you provided abortion or worked in a health care facility that provided abortion?
Attorneys
Do you represent someone who has gotten an abortion or helped someone else get one? Do you want to learn more?
FAQs
Is my case eligible for funding?
Your case may be eligible for funding if:
- you sought an abortion, information about one, or assistance obtaining one; or you have helped someone else access abortion by providing material, financial, or logistical support to that person to help enable them to obtain an abortion;
- you are now facing legal action because of your involvement with abortion; and
- you need help paying legal expenses.
How does the application process work?
The application process is designed for attorneys. Attorneys can begin the application process on behalf of their client by filling out the attorney’s contact information here. If you are an abortion patient or supporter, you can provide your attorney’s contact information. But please do not provide your own personal information. Once we have the attorney’s contact information, we may contact the attorney regarding next steps, including to schedule a screening interview.
If the case appears to be eligible for funding based on the screening interview, we will send the attorney a full application for funding. If the case is ineligible for funding, we will notify the attorney promptly.
After the attorney completes the application, they may be contacted for an additional interview. Attorneys will be notified of a decision on their applications as soon as possible following their submission of requested application materials.
What if I don’t have an attorney yet?
If you have sought abortion or information about one for yourself, you may contact If/When/How’s Repro Legal Helpline.
If you have helped someone else obtain an abortion or information about one, you may contact the Abortion Defense Network.
Once you have an attorney, if you still need help paying legal expenses, you may ask your attorney to fill out their contact information here to have a screening interview scheduled with the Abortion Access LDF.
What kinds of expenses does the Abortion Access LDF cover?
If an application is approved, the Abortion Access LDF can help pay for some of the legal fees and costs that arise as a result of the legal action you are facing because you sought or obtained an abortion or information about abortion, or helped someone else seek or obtain an abortion or information about abortion. These costs may include:
- Attorney’s fees
- Court filing fees
- Transcript fees
- Expert witness fees
- Mediation costs
- Private investigator costs
- Travel costs necessary to attend required court appearances
Is there a financial need requirement?
Yes. The Abortion Access LDF is intended to assist in situations where it would be difficult to get adequate legal representation without financial support, or where the cost of such representation will impose substantial hardship on the client or their attorney The Abortion Access LDF decision of whether an individual case meets the financial need requirement is determined on a case-by-case basis and in its discretion.
My case has already been going on for a while before I learned about the Abortion Access LDF. Can I still apply for funding?
Yes. Your attorney can apply for funding at any time before or during a legal action. The Abortion Access LDF generally will not provide funding for expenses incurred more than a month before an application is submitted, but it may be able to provide funding for expenses incurred going forward when it decides to approve an application.
Who decides whether my case will be funded?
If your attorney has completed the full application process with the Abortion Access LDF, an internal committee evaluate it alongside other completed applications. The committee will determine which cases will receive funding and how much in their discretion. The LDF will not be able to fund all deserving cases.
Support the
Abortion Access LDF
External Resources
- Abortion Defence Network
- Repro Legal Helpline
- Repro Legal Defense Fund
- Abortion Provider Legal Defense Fund
Resources on this site are provided for your convenience only and some include links to third-party sites not under the control of the Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund or National Women’s Law Center, neither of which are responsible for the availability or content of these third-party resources.
Disclaimers
The Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund LLC is wholly owned by the National Women’s Law Center.
By providing this information to you, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and the Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund (Fund) are not becoming your attorneys. Filling in the form also does not mean that NWLC or Fund is becoming your attorney. Providing information to NWLC or Fund will not create an attorney-client relationship unless NWLC/Fund expressly agrees to represent you.
Please do not provide NWLC or Fund with privileged information. We will keep the information you provide in the form confidential to the extent allowed by law.
Please use the form to have an attorney request assistance. Though we cannot guarantee assistance, we will review the requests and make decisions at our sole discretion. Please do not come to our office to request assistance; we do not conduct in-person interviews.