Family law issues. These include divorce, adoption, custody, alimony, parental visitation or parenting time, domestic violence, guardianship, injunctions, defense in paternity claims, and amendment of decrees. Most legal aid agencies limit representation in divorce to certain types of situations. Some offices do not accept divorce cases, except in cases of emergency. Income, family size and special financial needs are taken into account in determining whether a person is eligible for legal aid. Legal services are free for eligible low-income individuals, but clients are required to pay court fees where possible. The Help4TN.org website and a toll-free phone line at 888-HELP4TN or (888) 395-9297 provide information and access to legal recommendations and advice, and TN Free Legal Answers matches individuals with pro bono lawyers. Non-criminal legal services for individuals who cannot afford a private lawyer are provided by SC Legal Services. Some of the types of legal services that may be available include: evictions, bankruptcies, health issues, education, mortgage foreclosures, Social Security disability, employment issues, some limited divorce and custody issues, food stamps, and social issues. Legal Services programs do not deal with criminal matters; If you have questions about criminal law, see Public Defence Services. If you need legal assistance, please call our helpline on Monday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Our helpline specialists will guide you through a short aptitude testing process. If you are eligible for our services, speak to a lawyer who will discuss your problem with you. Cases that require more than one telephone consultation are handled at local offices according to our case acceptance criteria. There are several legal aid organizations in Tennessee. These organizations are not-for-profit law firms that offer certain types of free legal aid to people who can`t afford a lawyer: If you can`t afford a lawyer, but believe you`re eligible for free legal aid, the following can help you move in the right direction. However, be sure to check with your local court or local legal aid program for more detailed information about admission.
Like private lawyers, legal aid lawyers and paralegals work to find the best possible solution to the case for their client. And just like communications between private lawyers and their clients, communications between legal aid clients and their lawyers or paralegals are confidential. These are the kinds of cases that legal aid agencies can often handle. However, the type of cases accepted by each legal aid unit may vary. The community, clients and legal aid staff worked together to identify the highest priority issues for low-income people in their area. Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida (CLSMF) is the oldest and largest provider of free legal aid to low- and middle-income residents of Central Florida. Since 1966, we have provided legal advice and advocacy to help the people of Central Florida meet the basic needs of life: food, shelter, health care, safety, and education. Having your divorce documents prepared by a licensed legal assistant is a good investment and a cost-effective option for legal aid in the event of divorce. Using the services of a licensed legal assistant certainly costs a lot less than hiring a lawyer and is less stressful than many free legal aid options. Call 800-747-2780 to contact A People`s Choice to professionally prepare your divorce papers at an affordable price. Some legal aid organizations and clinics offer free legal assistance to individuals and non-profit or not-for-profit organizations seeking to improve the economic, cultural, social or environmental well-being of disadvantaged or underserved communities.
Community problems can include neighbourhood deterioration, inadequate housing and homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, racial discord and crime. Check with your state`s individual Community law programmes for specific admission and admission requirements. There are several HIV/AIDS legal counselling programs that provide free legal assistance to low-income clients infected with HIV or AIDS in areas such as estate planning, employment or housing discrimination, insurance difficulties, family law issues and other legal issues. If you are not eligible to receive free legal services based on any of the above criteria, you may want to speak to a lawyer in your area to discuss other fee arrangements. Legal aid organizations are not-for-profit businesses that provide free legal aid to low-income clients with non-criminal problems, including cases in some of the following areas: Most legal aid organizations also have pro bono programs. Many private lawyers have agreed to provide free legal aid to low-income individuals through this program. Your case can be referred to a pro bono lawyer who will represent you free of charge under the pro bono program. And even if you qualify for free legal aid, you may have a hard time finding a free legal aid agency that can handle your case – especially if the agency has limited staff and resources, or if your legal problem is not part of what the agency covers. Legal aid cannot help everyone with all legal problems.
There are certain types of cases that legal aid does not handle, including criminal and fee-paying cases, such as car accidents, where you want to make the other person pay for your injuries or damage to your car. Utilities. These include issues of welfare, food stamps, medical assistance, supplementary income, social security and unemployment benefits. If you have been denied benefits, asked to repay benefits, or feel you are not getting the benefits you deserve, a legal aid office may be able to help. You can send us your request for legal assistance at any time by clicking here to complete an online application. You`ll need 15-30 minutes to answer all the app`s questions, and your app can`t be saved halfway, so plan accordingly. Created by FindLaw`s team of writers and legal writers| Last updated: June 20, 2016 Bar associations, the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission, and legal and community aid organizations across the state support permanent legal clinics throughout the year. To help as many eligible people as possible, most legal aid agencies also use paralegals to help with their cases. Paralegals are not lawyers and cannot practise law, but they can represent clients at administrative hearings. For example, a paralegal may represent clients at hearings involving social assistance, supplementary security income or unemployment benefits. Paralegals can interview clients and let them know about their benefits. They also research and investigate cases and help negotiate with merchants, landlords or government officials.
Paralegals are supervised by lawyers and help provide legal services to clients. Your physical safety and that of your children should be your top priority. You can get a restraining order against your ex-spouse and then seek legal advice about the details of your divorce. You should contact a local shelter for survivors of domestic violence, such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles or LACBA, to find out what free or low-cost legal aid and advice is available for people coming out of a marriage marked by physical, emotional, and financial abuse. Legal aid offices do not deal with criminal cases. The court appoints a lawyer to handle criminal proceedings if the client cannot afford legal assistance. Sometimes a legal aid office cannot accept a case because there are not enough legal aid lawyers available to provide assistance to all eligible people. However, in some communities, private lawyers volunteer their time to represent low-income clients free of charge and accept cases that the legal aid office cannot handle.
In addition, legal aid cannot accept so-called “fee-generating” cases. In a fee-generating case, a lawyer`s fees are paid out of the money awarded to the winning party. If you ask for legal help with your problem, you will be told whether it is a paid case or not. Many divorce lawyers offer a free initial consultation, but after that, every minute they spend thinking about your case will cost you a lot of money. You may walk away from your counselling feeling like you don`t really need a divorce lawyer. You`re probably right. If your divorce is simple. Simply file the relevant documents and the court will dissolve your marriage. In this case, all you need is professional preparation of court documents. A non-legal assistant can prepare the paperwork for you at a much lower price than you would pay if you hired a lawyer.
To find free legal aid in your area, check out FindLaw`s legal aid resources for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Your eligibility for free legal aid depends on a number of factors, such as your income, health, safety, location, and whether your problem is civil or criminal. If your income is currently below the national average for the number of people in your household, you may be eligible for free legal aid. Most legal aid clinics and pro bono lawyers (private lawyers who offer free legal aid) serve people whose household income is less than 125% of the government-recognized poverty line. The exceptions are Alaska and Hawaii, which have higher income thresholds. CLSMF offers free legal assistance to eligible clients. Our terms and conditions are based on where you live and whether you comply with certain guidelines described below.
