I need help coming up with money to pay a lawyer for child custody

If you are in the U.S. then you should check into A.B.L.E. in your state. they work with low income people in these kind of cases.

It all depends on the country you live in. In Australia you can apply for legal aid which is free and you do have to prove that you have no funds and that your case is genuine. The other alternatives are to talk to the court official who might be able to advise you where to go to for assistance. Perhaps your local church might be able to assist in some way, whether financial or just advice. Try those avenues and see how you go. Good luck

you could ask around different churches sometimes they have money to help people with different things