With the pressures of recession putting personal finances under such stress, the last thing you need is legal trouble. So what can you do if you need legal assistance when money is short?

Across the country, Neighborhood Legal Services are opening up centers to help those in need who may not have the money for an attorney. It 's considered a self-help program and like many others around the country, you can get help filling out the right legal forms.

Many of the staff are volunteers, but they are not lawyers. The services are often provided free of charge.

"Since Neighborhood Legal Services have opened the centers we estimate we've served close to half a million people," said program spokesperson Ana Maria Garcia.

Check your city or county for a self-help facility near you, or you can go online. By selecting your location and topic on LawHelp.org, you will get a list of organizations that offer free or low-cost legal assistance.

At the American Bar Association's website you can find a pro bono attorney. Some sites like this one have how-to videos:

At LawGuru.com, you can ask a legal question and they post the answer. Others like LegalZoom.com can handle many legal issues at a low, fixed rate.