Abortion Access Legal Defense Fund FAQs

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.