Legal Help for Single Mothers in Wyoming

What has changed

On September 14, 2026, Wyoming courts announced that their Court Navigator Program had expanded to Albany County. It now serves qualifying cases in Albany, Carbon, Fremont, Lincoln, Natrona, and Uinta counties. Court navigators help with forms and court steps, not legal advice. The service is not yet available for cases in every Wyoming county.

Where to start

1. Find your deadline. Keep the notice, envelope, date served, case number, and court or agency name. If you have a hearing soon, do not wait for a callback to attend.
2. Apply for civil legal help. Tell Legal Aid your county, legal problem, and nearest date. Ask if they can offer a lawyer, brief advice, help with forms, or a referral.
3. Use the right office. Family court, child support services, public-benefit offices, and criminal court do different jobs. A clerk can explain court procedures but cannot tell you what to argue.
4. Make a second plan. If rent, food, or child care is part of the problem, seek that help while you work on the legal issue.

Quick help table

Free and low-cost legal help

Legal Aid of Wyoming

Legal Aid handles many civil matters, including family law, protection from abuse, housing, debt, work, public benefits, health care, and some expungement or planning matters. Its eligibility guidance says the only way to know if you qualify is to apply. Income is not the only factor. Type of case, other parties, conflicts of interest, and staff time can also affect service.

The hotline can assist Spanish speakers. The program says it also handles some Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho matters in tribal courts. Ask about language help and tribal jurisdiction at intake. You can find Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, and Lander office details on its contact page. It does not promise full representation to everyone.

WYLawHelp and online answers

If you need another provider, WYLawHelp helps match people with civil legal programs by income, household size, and issue. Each provider may have extra rules. For one focused, nonurgent legal question, Wyoming Free Legal Answers may connect qualifying users to a volunteer lawyer online. It is not a substitute for a lawyer in a hearing, and a reply may not arrive before your deadline.

Reduced-fee lawyers

If you earn too much for free aid, consider the Wyoming State Bar’s Modest Means Program. The Bar currently lists household income between 200% and 300% of federal poverty guidelines as its target range. Lawyers in the program agree to charge no more than a $1,000 retainer, if needed, and $100 per hour. You still pay court fees and other costs. A referral is not a promise that the attorney will accept your case. Use the Bar’s application form to be screened.

Wyoming court forms, clerks, and navigators

Get current family-law, eviction, protection-order, small-claims, garnishment, and related packets from the Wyoming court forms site. Some forms have an online guide that fills them in from your answers. Review the packet instructions, service rules, fees, and any financial statements before filing. Use the court directory to find your court.

Clerks can explain process, not legal strategy. Ask where to file, how to check a date, how to request a fee waiver, and how papers must be served. A court form is not proof that your case is legally sound.

The Court Navigator service can help people who represent themselves in some divorce, custody, child support, eviction, and protection-order matters. As of this review, remote help is offered for court cases in Albany, Carbon, Fremont, Lincoln, Natrona, and Uinta counties. In-person sessions are listed for Natrona County. Check the official page to schedule and see current hours. Navigators cannot be your lawyer or give legal advice.

Custody, divorce, parenting, and child support

Family cases may decide where children live, visits, parenting decisions, financial support, health coverage, and safety. Use Wyoming-specific forms for a new case or a change to an order. The court has separate custody and visitation packets for petitioners and people responding to a case. Forms may require a financial affidavit, proper service, and a hearing request.

Before you sign a custody or divorce agreement, ask a lawyer about terms you do not understand, especially if violence, a move, special needs, hidden income, or a dispute over the child is involved. Court staff cannot tell you which terms to accept.

The Wyoming Child Support Program can help establish parentage, obtain an order, collect or enforce support, locate a parent, and seek a review of an order. It does not have an income limit for these services. Use the official child support office list for your county; it also lists Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho child support programs. The general customer-service number is 307-777-6948.

Child support services are different from custody representation. If contacting the other parent or sharing your address could create danger, tell the office before you send sensitive information and ask about available protections. Our Wyoming child support guide explains related steps.

Protection orders and family safety

Wyoming courts have domestic violence protection-order forms and guidance about filing, hearings, children, firearms, and address privacy. Stalking protection-order forms are also available; sexual assault may require a different packet. Ask the clerk or an advocate which procedure applies. Do not assume a protection order alone makes a situation safe.

Important service update: The statewide coalition’s survivor legal program currently states that it has paused accepting new legal-assistance applications due to capacity. Do not rely on a new lawyer being assigned there. Local advocacy programs remain a starting point for support and referrals. Ask a trained advocate about court accompaniment, privacy, and choices that fit your situation. See our Wyoming safety resources for other local paths.

If you fear someone may monitor your device, use a safer way to reach an advocate when possible. This guide does not provide a personal safety plan or legal advice.

Eviction, housing, and discrimination

Wyoming’s court explains that a common eviction route begins with a 72-hour notice to quit, then a court summons and hearing, and, if ordered, a writ used by the sheriff. The type of tenancy and grounds for eviction can change the steps. A landlord’s notice is not the same as a court order. Do not assume a landlord may lock you out without using the court process.

Once you get a summons, read the exact hearing date. The court says a tenant may file an answer but does not have to file one to attend; there is no filing fee for an eviction answer. A jury request may involve a fee. Ask a lawyer which response fits your facts. If you reach a deal with the landlord, get it in writing and still confirm with the court what happens to your hearing.

Keep your lease, rent receipts, notice and envelope, repair requests, photos, inspection letters, and messages. If you think you faced housing discrimination based on a protected trait, use HUD’s complaint information. Ask about filing deadlines and legal advice. Our Wyoming housing guide lists housing and rent-help options. Our Wyoming emergency guide covers immediate support while a case is pending.

SNAP, POWER, child care, and Medicaid appeals

If an agency denies, ends, cuts, delays, or seeks to recover benefits, read the notice right away. Find the reason, effective date, appeal instructions, deadline, and where to send the request. Keep a copy, the confirmation number, and proof of the date you sent it. Do not assume that all Wyoming programs use the same rule.

For SNAP, DFS also describes a 10-day rule tied to some requests to keep benefits during an appeal. That is not the same as the full 90-day hearing-request window. If continued food or medical coverage matters, ask the agency right away about the exact deadline and risk of repayment if you lose. Different deadlines may apply to special decisions or notices.

For related application and renewal help, use our Wyoming SNAP guide, Wyoming POWER guide, and Wyoming child care guide. These do not replace the instructions in an official notice.

Unpaid wages, work rights, and consumer problems

If your employer has not paid for work done in Wyoming, the Department of Workforce Services has an online wage claim process. Gather pay stubs, time sheets, work dates, employer details, and written messages. The state says you have 10 days to object in writing if it tells you it negotiated a lower settlement. Read any decision closely.

Workplace pregnancy and accommodation problems can involve federal or state rights. The EEOC’s pregnancy accommodation guide explains a federal route. Do not wait to ask about filing deadlines. Save accommodation requests, employer replies, job schedules, and any adverse-action notice.

For identity theft, deceptive charges, or unfair business practices, the Wyoming Attorney General accepts consumer complaints. Its office does not act as your personal lawyer or handle ordinary landlord-tenant disputes through that consumer process. Try legal aid if you also need individual legal help.

Disability, school, and tribal legal needs

Wyoming’s Protection and Advocacy System may assist with disability rights in school, health care, employment, community services, or cases involving abuse, neglect, and discrimination. Ask about intake and case priorities. Bring school plans, notices, medical or evaluation records, and copies of requests for help.

If your case touches the Wind River Reservation, tribal child support or tribal court rules may apply. Tell Legal Aid or the child support office which court has the case. Ask about an interpreter or other access support you need. Do not use a state form for a tribal matter without checking which court and process apply.

Documents and information to gather

Do not skip an urgent call because you are missing a document. Ask what the office can accept now. Keep originals safe and provide copies when allowed.

Phone scripts you can use

Other Wyoming help while your case is pending

Legal help can take time. If your family also needs rent, meals, transport, or child care, start those applications now instead of waiting for the court case to end. Keep a list of the offices you called, dates, deadlines, and what each office asked you to do. Check eligibility and funding with each program; no application guarantees approval.