What Exactly is Legal Aid?
Legal aid is a type of services provide to support and assist those who might otherwise be unable to afford legal representation. As a general principle of access to justice, providing free, or otherwise low-cost, legal assistance is the aim of legal aid programs. The foremost consideration of the development of law and the legal system is insuring everyone has access to due process. This means that even when individuals may not be able to afford to hire a lawyer to represent them in a matter , they should still have options available to make sure their rights and interests are protected. Whether to support and assure the best interests of children or the rights of the elderly, legal aid exists to help those most in need. Legal aid services come in many forms, from counseling for legal issues to representation in court. In legal matters before Courts, parties have a right to representation. If you cannot afford an attorney, then legal aid provides the next-best option.
Criteria for Receiving Legal Aid in Greene County
In Greene County, Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) provides free civil legal aid, education and advocacy to low income residents. LAWO’s mission is to assist eligible individuals who have civil legal problems that affect their basic needs and the legal representation necessary to protect or obtain those critical and necessary services. Those needs include: To qualify for aid, residents must first meet income requirements which are tied to the current federal poverty guidelines. Applicants whose income levels are 300 percent or less than those expected for their household size qualify for legal aid services. LAWO recommends that applicants use their net income reported on their federal tax return, less any non-taxable income received, such as Social Security. Applicants do not, however, need to provide documentation of their income to LAWO. Instead, they are asked to self-certify their monthly or annual income level to determine their eligibility. Once income eligibility is established, LAWO performs another quick qualification check to determine whether the type of legal issue the applicant is facing is one for which legal aid services are available. Legal aid attorneys are prohibited from offering involvement in criminal cases; abuse or neglect cases; juvenile delinquency cases; fee-generating cases; cases involving fraud; cases involving wills and estates; custodies, divorces, or other court filings for which the client could afford legal assistance; and expungements. LAWO does offer services in various counties, each of which has its own entry criteria for providing legal assistance.
Forms of Legal Issues Addressed by Legal Aid
Legal Aid in Greene County provides assistance in a broad range of legal matters that may arise. Their services are focused on various areas, including family law, housing, domestic violence, consumer rights, and public benefits. The following is a brief look at the types of cases these lawyers can help with:
Family Law – Most of the cases handled by Greene County Legal Aid deal with families. CGLA lawyers can help with all family-related legal issues, including spousal support, parental rights, custody, and paternity.
Housing – Many people in Greene County who apply for assistance from CGLA do not have a place to live. Legal Aid lawyers can help those individuals locate affordable housing and assist in resolving landlord-tenant disputes.
Domestic Violence – In the event a person is suffering from abuse in their home, Legal Aid can extend their services to help residents of Greene County obtain protection and dissolve the abusive relationship.
Consumer Rights – Your rights as a consumer can be violated in many ways. Property repossession, wage garnishment, identity theft and cases of fraudulent credit can cause serious financial hardships for people. Legal Aid can help with consumer rights cases.
Public Benefits – Many people cannot make it financially without public assistance. Those who are being denied or cut off from government benefits can turn to Legal Aid of Greene County for help.
The majority of legal aid cases in Greene County involve family-related legal issues. Many of the attorneys who work at CGLA only handle family law.
How to Seek Legal Help through Legal Aid in Greene County, Ohio
Applying for legal aid services in Greene County is a straightforward process that can be initiated through either phone or internet access. By contacting the legal aid organization directly, you can express your need for assistance and learn how to advance your application. The Greene County legal aid office requires applicants to call to schedule an appointment with a paralegal. This process begins with a simple phone call to the office. This contact is usually made during business hours, by someone who needs legal representation or someone calling on behalf of a person needing assistance. During the initial phone contact, a receptionist or volunteer will ask the caller some preliminary questions to establish whether the case qualifies for the type of pro bono services the organization offers. This is determined on a case-by-case basis. When or if deemed eligible, the caller will be asked to provide the following documentation: The caller will be asked additional questions to determine whether he or she is eligible to receive pro bono services. If the application is approved , the client will then be scheduled for an appointment with a paralegal. Face-to-face meetings are held at the legal aid center in Xenia, and other alternate locations, as needed. For online applications, many legal aid organizations (not just Greene County) offer forms that can be filled out and submitted via their websites. The Greene County website provides a link to such applications where you can enter the information required and submit your request for legal aid assistance. Generally speaking, access to the internet may provide a quicker means of obtaining assistance from legal aid organizations like those in Greene County, since you can fill out the online application at your convenience. Many legal aid offices still require you to appear for an in-person meeting with a paralegal, but you may be able to ‘speed up’ this process by applying for legal aid online first, then following up with an official appointment.
Local Legal Aid Agencies and Helpful Resources
Greene County boasts robust legal aid assistance, with three primary organizations serving its low-income residents and families: Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), the Public Defender, and Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO).
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE)
The ABLE Foundation, which was established in 1975, undergirds the work of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality. The foundation supports its affiliate, ABLE, in its mission to provide civil legal aid in southwest Ohio. ABLE’s Greene County office has two overall case managers and three paralegals. Their case managers handle all cases within the local county and any paralegal and staff attorney positions the office may have. Their paralegals work with individual clients, helping them find legal aid in the area, and a dozen other paralegals are located in offices throughout the surrounding region. Senior paralegals work with individuals over the age of 60 on particular cases, focusing on older clients.
The office has two attorneys, one of whom does not have a public defender case load and takes on volunteer cases, and both focus heavily on family law issues. The attorneys seek out area attorneys to take on cases that might be time-intensive, such as those dealing with child custody or divorces. They also have some limited capacity to handle more complex cases. The most commonly handled services include expungement, divorce and domestic relations cases, elder law, housing and real estate.
Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO)
Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) is another local legal aid organization centered in the Dayton area. Since its founding in 1963, the organization has provided free legal aid to low-income individuals and families throughout western and northern Ohio. Its attorneys offer legal services for cases involving family law, domestic violence, government benefits, housing and eviction, health care and debt. It serves low-income individuals in 32 counties, including Greene County. LAWO provides legal aid services through seven field offices located in beautiful renovated historic buildings, including an art deco building in downtown Dayton. You should feel absolutely at ease visiting these offices – they are friendly, welcoming environments.
The local LAWO office generally has two staff attorneys, one volunteer and one permanent, who tackle cases in all areas of civil law. This office also has three paralegals, who work mostly on family law cases involving divorces, custody and protective orders. Clients may include survivors of domestic violence who seek protection orders from their abuser.
Public Defender
The Greene County Public Defender offers affordable representation to low-income individuals related to criminal matters. It has one attorney on staff, and it provides county residents access to the Greene County Law Library, which is open to the public. The library has a lawyer for the day program every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon. In this way, affordable legal services are available to individuals throughout the region.
Advantages of Legal Aid for Local Residents
Legal aid services offer a myriad of benefits to the community and to Greene County residents in particular. At a fundamental level, these services provide much-needed legal assistance to individuals who cannot afford to hire an attorney. Public aid attorneys deliver high-quality legal services to underserved populations, promoting access to justice and equity within vulnerable communities . The positive effects of these services extend beyond the legal system itself; such organizations provide opportunities for holistic care and service referrals, referring residents who are dealing with overlapping legal issues, as well as social or economic issues, to partner organizations that provide additional health or social services. By doing so, Greene County legal aid service providers equip vulnerable populations with the holistic support they need to lift themselves out of poverty, reduce the demand for disaster relief and decrease recidivism.
