LawHelpNY provides legal information on civil law issues such as family, housing, public benefits, consumers, labor rights, immigration, and many other topics. It has no information on criminal law, arrests, convictions, etc. Please note that LawHelpNY does not provide legal advice. You cannot seek legal advice from a lawyer. Nearly a million poor people who seek help with civil law problems are turned away for lack of resources. The justice gap represents the difference between the level of civil legal aid available and the level needed to meet the legal needs of low-income individuals and families. According to LSC`s 2017 report, Documenting the Justice Gap in America, of the approximately 1.7 million civil law issues for which low-income Americans seek LSC-funded legal aid, 1.0 million to 1.2 million (62% to 72%) received inadequate or no legal assistance. This means that out of 100 issues for customers served by LSC programs, between 62 and 72 of the issues are unable to get the help they need. Cases must be located in one of the districts served by CMLS.
CMLS cannot accept cases outside of the 21 counties we serve. If you live in the CMLS service area and need assistance, please complete a service request by calling your local office or filling out an online file. CMLS will determine if we can help you. If you are located in one of the 21 counties where CMLS operates, but your case is located in another county or state, CMLS may refer your case to the appropriate legal aid office for possible assistance. Private lawyers, legal aid clinics and advocacy groups with lawyers often handle cases that fall within their particular area of interest. For example, you might be able to get free help from a lawyer for a wage discrimination lawsuit against an employer if it has the potential to become a larger class action lawsuit. This limit is usually a percentage of the “poverty line” set by the government. LawHelpNY cannot guarantee that an organization will be able to assist you, even if you meet the income requirements. Many legal aid firms use the following table to decide who can get help in each area. CMLS assists clients in a wide range of civil law matters.
We do not assist in criminal cases, child protection cases or immigration applications. CMLS regularly assesses the needs of its clients when deciding what types of cases our lawyers can accept. There are specialized legal aid organizations and programs for communities such as veterans, survivors of sexual assault, seniors and people with disabilities. To be eligible for these services, you must meet these requirements. Search LawHelpNY for legal information and free legal help where you live. Scroll down for tips on how to navigate this site. Non-Texas residents can search the National Directory of Legal Aid Organizations or the American Bar Association`s Legal Referral Service for legal assistance. CMLS is funded by Legal Services Corporation, which has certain rules and regulations that must be followed by our organization, who we can help and what legal issues we can help. LSC has a long history of supporting victims of natural disasters. LSC has built a national network of experience and expertise — including legal service providers and national organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — to help programs better assist disaster victims. Created by FindLaw`s team of writers and legal writers| Last updated: 20 June 2016 If the other party to your dispute lives with you, do not count their income as part of the household income and do not count it as part of the household.
Even if you are eligible for legal aid, this does not mean that the organisation will automatically take over your case. Many agencies provide free legal advice to immigrants and other non-citizens who need help with issues such as visa applications, green cards, deportation procedures, and work permits. Conditions for participation vary from program to program. The latest findings from New York confirm national data that less than 20% of all civil justice needs are met by low-income families and individuals. In 2013, more than 1.8 million litigants were unrepresented by attorneys in civil litigation in New York State courts. Search for your family size, then check the boxes on the right to see where your annual income is in the table. Some organizations have more flexible policies and can serve people whose incomes exceed these levels, it depends on the organization and your legal issue. The best thing to do is to call your local legal aid agency to find out if you qualify for their services.
The maximum income level is 125% of the federal poverty guidelines (see table below). If certain factors exist, legal aid may be waived in exceptional or meritorious circumstances up to 200% (second column). Call our helpline or apply online to find out if you qualify for free legal aid. If you need help with a legal issue, have a question you think a lawyer should answer, or if you`ve been sued and don`t know where to turn, call our helpline! 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. Due to our limited staff, not everyone is able to get help from legal aid. Contact us to see if your case is one we can handle. You may be entitled to free legal aid from a court-appointed lawyer or public defender if your freedom is threatened (in other words, you must go to prison). A public defender is a lawyer who represents defendants who cannot afford a lawyer, and the Constitution guarantees the right to legal assistance in certain cases.
Stateside Legal — the first website in the country to focus solely on federal rights and legal resources important to veterans — is funded by an LSC Technology Initiatives grant. This free service provides military families and veterans with access to a wide range of legal information and support. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published a policy encouraging the use of the site as part of homeless veterans` services. Government studies consistently show that a higher percentage (80%) of the civilian needs of the eligible population are not met. A recent study by the Boston Bar Association found that in Massachusetts, civil legal aid programs reject 64% of eligible cases. Nearly 33,000 low-income Massachusetts residents have been denied attorney assistance in vital eviction cases; Seizure; and family law, such as child abuse and domestic violence. People seeking help in family law matters were turned away 80% of the time. 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. U.S. veterans with mental and physical disabilities may be eligible for free legal assistance on issues ranging from rent assistance to child visitation issues. For eligibility criteria, check with your local veterans` association to see if you or a member of your household is eligible for free legal aid for a range of services. To find free legal aid in your area, check out FindLaw`s legal aid resources for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
If you are a victim of domestic violence or fear for your safety, you may be eligible for free legal aid from agencies that can help you gather evidence of abuse, including seeking injunctions. For immediate help wherever you are, contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). If you currently receive financial assistance through other public assistance programs such as SSI/SSP, Food Stamps Program, County Relief, Older Americans Act, and Developmentally Disabled Assistance Act, you may be eligible for additional free legal services in your state. The figures in the column entitled National Eligibility Level represent 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, as determined by the Department of Health and Social Services. The figures in the column entitled Maximum income level correspond to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Applicants whose total household income is below the national level of eligibility are entitled to legal assistance. Applicants whose total household income does not exceed the maximum income threshold are eligible for legal aid if there are certain specific factors that would allow them to forego income between the two levels. Under no circumstances will applicants whose total household income exceeds the maximum income be considered eligible for legal aid with LSC funds, although support may be provided from alternative funds, provided that this is authorized by that funding source.
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. Some legal aid agencies cannot serve people whose income exceeds that of their policies. Income policies use a percentage of federal poverty income. VaLegalAid.org does not guarantee assistance from a legal aid agency in Virginia, even if you meet income guidelines. Below is the federal amount of poverty income from the Department of Health and Social Services.
