I'm a litigation paralegal working on civil litigation cases - mainly state court (California) cases; with some federal work. Each court is different. If you're looking to file a federal lawsuit, it will cost money. You will at least be responsible for filing fees. Some attorneys work on contingency - i.e., the losing side pays and your attorney gets a share of the winnings. Even small claims cases are not free - there is always a filing fee. Some courts do have a process where you can claim you're a pauper and can't afford to pay. It's different in each jurisdiction.