Homeschool Legal Advantage (HLA) is a legal defense organization operated by the Christian Law Association that provides free legal representation to homeschooling families. It offers protection for homeschool-related issues and broader religious liberty cases.
What is Homeschool Legal Advantage?
Homeschool Legal Advantage (HLA) is a ministry of legal helps specifically for homeschoolers, operated as an outreach of the Christian Law Association—an organization that has served churches and families since 1969. HLA provides legal defense for homeschooling families facing challenges from school districts, truancy officers, or government agencies questioning their right to educate at home. Unlike some legal organizations, HLA extends its coverage beyond homeschool-specific issues to include broader religious liberty cases, making it useful for families whose faith intersects with their educational choices. The organization has successfully defended over 8,000 educational freedom-related cases since its founding.
Key Takeaways
- Operated by the Christian Law Association, not affiliated with HSLDA
- First year of membership is free, subsequent years less expensive than competitors
- Covers homeschool legal issues AND broader religious liberty cases
- Provides access to full-time attorneys plus 200+ affiliated attorneys nationwide
Services Provided
HLA membership includes comprehensive legal protection. Free legal representation covers attorney fees, expert witness costs, travel expenses, and court costs for homeschool-related cases—families pay nothing out of pocket for defense. Beyond homeschooling, members receive free representation from the Christian Law Association for religious liberty issues even when unrelated to education. This distinguishes HLA from competitors focused solely on homeschool law. Additional benefits include: a last will and testament drafted by an attorney, access to state-by-state homeschool law information on the HLA website, legal alerts and a monthly newsletter, and 20% discounts on legal and educational resources from the Christian Law Association.
HLA vs. HSLDA
Families often compare these two organizations. HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) is the more established name, founded in 1983 with over 90,000 member families and 35+ years focused exclusively on homeschool law. HLA operates through the Christian Law Association (established 1969), costs less (first year free versus HSLDA's $120-135 annual fee), and provides broader religious liberty coverage beyond homeschooling. HSLDA offers specialized homeschool law expertise with 24/7 attorney availability; HLA offers a network of full-time and 200+ affiliated attorneys nationwide. Both organizations are respected. HSLDA is the industry standard for homeschool-specific defense. HLA provides a cost-effective alternative with expanded coverage for families who value religious liberty protection across multiple life areas.
Is Legal Defense Necessary?
Most homeschooling families never face legal challenges. So why pay for coverage? The same reason you have car insurance without planning to crash. When problems arise—a skeptical school district, a neighbor's call to child services, a college questioning your credentials—having attorneys already on your side removes enormous stress. Organizations like HLA and HSLDA have decades of experience navigating these situations, understanding which battles matter and how to resolve conflicts efficiently. The first year of HLA membership is free, making it essentially risk-free to have protection in place. Whether you choose HLA, HSLDA, or another provider, having some form of legal backup provides peace of mind.
The Bottom Line
Homeschool Legal Advantage offers solid legal protection for homeschooling families at a lower cost than the better-known HSLDA, with the added benefit of broader religious liberty coverage. For families whose faith and education intersect—and who might need legal support beyond strictly homeschool issues—HLA provides comprehensive protection. The free first year makes it easy to try, and the backing of the Christian Law Association's 50+ years of experience provides credibility. Whether HLA or another organization best fits your family depends on your specific needs and values.
