Legal Services

Results: 21

• Adult Protective Services (1)
  PH-6500.0500

  Adult Protective Services

  PH-6500.0500
  
  Social services programs that provide assistance for older adults, people with disabilities and other vulnerable individuals who are unable to act on their own behalf or manage their own affairs, or who are in immediate danger due to physical or emotional abuse, unsafe or hazardous living conditions, exploitation, neglect, self-neglect or abandonment. Included are APS programs that investigate cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation working closely with a wide variety of professionals including physicians, nurses, firefighters and law enforcement officers following receipt of a report from friends, neighbors or others concerned for their safety; and public and private guardianship/conservatorship programs that make provisions for people who have been judged to be incompetent by the court by assuming responsibility for the care and custody of the individuals and/or for the management of their estates.
• Child Custody/Visitation Assistance (1)
  FT-3000.1500

  Child Custody/Visitation Assistance

  FT-3000.1500
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to obtain custody of their children as a part of a divorce or separation action, who want to appeal all or a portion of the terms of a previous child custody decision, or in the case of a noncustodial parent, who want to establish or appeal the terms of a visitation award or a court-ordered visitation schedule. Included are programs that provide child custody/visitation assistance for people who are not legally married but have children together.
• Child Support Assistance/Enforcement (1)
  FT-3000.1600

  Child Support Assistance/Enforcement

  FT-3000.1600
  
  Programs that provide assistance which helps to ensure that parents fulfill their mutual obligation to financially support and provide health care for their children. Included are services for people who want to locate an absent parent; establish paternity; establish a child support order; request that the non-custodial parent provide health insurance for a child in conjunction with a child support order; change the amount of a child support award; dispute a child support award; or enforce payment of child support monies in cases where the supporting parent is delinquent in paying or refuses to pay or make health insurance arrangements altogether. Child support is money paid by one parent to another for the maintenance, including the education, of their children following the dissolution of their marriage or other relationship. Non-custodial parents enrolled in an insurance plan at work may be required to include the child under this coverage while those not covered by any insurance plan may be required to obtain medical coverage, if available at a reasonable cost. Child support assistance/enforcement may be provided by private attorneys, legal clinics, family law facilitators' offices or child support enforcement programs which are available in all states, often as a component of the district attorney's office.
• Court Ordered Victim Restitution Services (1)
  FF-0500.1400

  Court Ordered Victim Restitution Services

  FF-0500.1400
  
  Programs that oversee compliance with a court order, a condition of voluntary probation or an agreement in lieu of prosecution that an offender restore what a victim has lost (or the equivalent) as a result of a crime or act of delinquency. Staff may contact victims to determine loss amounts, investigate the offender's assets, help the victim present a restitution request to the appropriate authorities, report findings to the court, monitor payments of restitution and/or employ a variety of legally sanctioned methods (such as tax liens and judgment orders) to recover losses for victims in situations where the offender fails to make payments as agreed. In some jurisdictions, these programs collect restitution funds from offenders and make payments to the victim.
• Divorce Assistance (1)
  FT-3000.1700

  Divorce Assistance

  FT-3000.1700
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who are initiating or responding to a suit for an annulment of their marriage, which establishes that a marital status never existed; a legal separation, which suspends the marriage so far as concerns the cohabitation of the two parties; or a divorce, which totally dissolves the marriage relationship. These programs may also discuss and represent the individual's interests regarding distribution of property assets and parenting issues regarding any children.
• Domestic Violence Protective/Restraining Orders (1)
  FT-6940.1900

  Domestic Violence Protective/Restraining Orders

  FT-6940.1900
  
  Programs that help adults obtain an order from the police or the courts that protects them from abuse or threats of abuse from a current or former spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, someone they have a child with, someone they live with or someone they are related to through blood or marriage. Included are emergency protective orders that police can obtain from the court to provide immediate protection to an abused family member for five to seven days until an application for a temporary restraining order can be made in court; longer-term temporary restraining orders issued in civil court that forbid contact with the protected person until the propriety of granting a permanent injunction can be evaluated; permanent or after-hearing restraining orders that make a short-term injunction granted in the temporary restraining order permanent (or specify the amount of time they will remain in effect); and criminal temporary protective orders which apply in situations where an abusive individual has been arrested and faces trial.
• Domestic/Family Violence Legal Services (8)
  FT-3000.1750

  Domestic/Family Violence Legal Services

  FT-3000.1750
  
  Programs that provide information and guidance and/or representation in court proceedings for individuals who have been abused in an intimate relationship and/or for people who are facing a summary conviction offence or criminal charge for perpetrating abuse. Included are domestic violence law clinics and other legal assistance programs that represent victims of domestic abuse at restraining order hearings or in other civil or criminal actions involving charges against an abuser. Most also represent the person's interests in complexities that arise as part of the legal process such as restitution, payment of debts or child support, custody and visitation and property control. Some programs may also represent victims of domestic abuse who have been charged with a crime and/or handle cases involving accusations of child abuse filed by one parent against the other, abuse of an elderly person by an adult child or abuse of an adult child by a parent.
• Drug Courts (1)
  FC-8200.8100-170

  Drug Courts

  FC-8200.8100-170
  
  Special courts that have been given the responsibility to handle cases involving drug-addicted offenders through an extensive supervision and treatment program. Drug court participants undergo long-term treatment and counseling sanctions, incentives and frequent court appearances. Successful completion of the program results in dismissal of charges, reduced or set aside sentences, lesser penalties, or a combination of these.
• Elder Law (2)
  FT-2450

  Elder Law

  FT-2450
  
  Programs that provide information and guidance for individuals who need assistance in the area of law which relates to the rights and needs of older adults, especially in the areas of age discrimination, consumer fraud, estate planning and management, living trusts, trust administration, probate, property law, retirement planning, pension benefits, Social Security benefits, Medicaid and Medicare, disability planning, long-term care alternatives, health care decisions, elder abuse, guardianships and conservatorships.
• Eviction Prevention Legal Assistance (1)
  FT-4500.1800

  Eviction Prevention Legal Assistance

  FT-4500.1800
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people are being evicted, either wrongfully or with reason, from their apartments or other rental property. Also included are programs that attempt to prevent eviction and possible homelessness by providing mediation services to negotiate a compromise between an individual and the landlord.
• General Benefits Assistance (7)
  FT-1000.2500

  General Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000.2500
  
  Programs that focus broadly on helping individuals who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible rather than offering more specialized services relating to a particular type of benefit.
• General Legal Aid (4)
  FT-3200

  General Legal Aid

  FT-3200
  
  Programs that provide legal counseling and/or representation for low-income individuals who need assistance in routine legal matters, usually in the area of bankruptcy, housing, public benefits, family law, elder law or immigration/naturalization.
• Grandparent Rights (1)
  FT-3000.2500

  Grandparent Rights

  FT-3000.2500
  
  Programs that provide assistance for grandparents who feel that their visitation and custody rights with regard to their grandchildren have been violated. Also included are organizations that provide information about the rights of grandparents and/or referrals for grandparents who need to locate a lawyer who has expertise in this area, or other legal resources.
• Housing Discrimination Assistance (1)
  FT-1800.3000

  Housing Discrimination Assistance

  FT-1800.3000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who believe that they have been denied an opportunity to purchase, lease or rent the home or apartment of their choice due to their age, gender, family composition (including families with children under the age of 18 and pregnant women), race or color, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation or marital status, actions that are prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 in the U.S. Federal fair housing law also extends limited protection to recovering alcoholics who actively and regularly participate in a medically based treatment or AA program, and people with a drug use disorder including those who have prior convictions for illegal drug use (but not for drug dealing or manufacture). Assistance may also be available to other individuals who are protected from housing discrimination by state or local laws with a broader set of protected categories, or which cover properties that are exempt from federal fair housing laws but are protected under state law.
• Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services (1)
  FT-3600

  Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services

  FT-3600
  
  Programs that provide legal assistance for immigrants, nonimmigrant visa applicants, asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents who are seeking naturalization. Services are generally provided by nonprofit immigration law offices and may involve information and consultation about benefits under immigration law including procedures for obtaining student, visitor and employment-based visas; family immigration; asylee status; lawful permanent residence status; or citizenship.
• Landlord/Tenant Dispute Resolution (2)
  FT-4500.4600

  Landlord/Tenant Dispute Resolution

  FT-4500.4600
  
  Programs that help tenants and landlords resolve disputes regarding security and other rental deposits, unsanitary conditions, failure to make repairs, privacy, notice requirements, excessive rent increases, nonpayment of rent, neglect or damage to property, overcrowding or other grievances.
• Lawyer Referral Services (3)
  FT-4800

  Lawyer Referral Services

  FT-4800
  
  Programs that maintain lists of private attorneys and link people who need legal assistance with lawyers who specialize in the required area of law.
• Legal Counseling (6)
  FP-4000

  Legal Counseling

  FP-4000
  
  Programs that are staffed by lawyers who offer information and guidance regarding legal matters, proposed lines of conduct, claims or contentions including opinions on the party's rights, responsibilities and liabilities; and who offer suggestions for an appropriate course of action, but do not represent clients in court.
• Patient Rights Assistance (9)
  FT-6200

  Patient Rights Assistance

  FT-6200
  
  Programs that provide information, education, advocacy and/or other forms of legal assistance which relate to the rights of people who are patients in a health or mental health care facility, who are residents of convalescent or other long or short-term care facilities including adult residential care homes, or who are incapacitated and are being cared for at home by family members. Services may also be available to significant others of these individuals.
• Tenant Rights Information/Counseling (2)
  FT-4500.8550

  Tenant Rights Information/Counseling

  FT-4500.8550
  
  Programs that provide information and guidance for tenants who need to know their rights and responsibilities regarding leases and rental agreements, deposits, legal eviction procedures, measures to protect themselves from unlawful or retaliatory evictions, rent withholding rights, rent control requirements, privacy rights and other issues that may be of particular interest to tenants. Tenant rights counseling may also include assistance in completing forms, advice regarding a particular dispute and contact with the offending landlord to provide notification that she or he is not in compliance with landlord/tenant laws.
• Veteran Benefits Assistance (2)
  FT-1000.9000

  Veteran Benefits Assistance

  FT-1000.9000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for veterans who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law based on service to their country. The programs may help veterans understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are Veteran Services Officers (VSOs) who are trained and accredited by the Veteran's Administration (VA) and can be found in offices specific to each state, the county courthouse, the local VA office and local veteran's rights organizations; as well as legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.