Legal Services

Results: 17

• Adoption Legal Services (1)
  FT-3000.0300

  Adoption Legal Services

  FT-3000.0300
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to independently adopt a child, legally relinquish a child for adoption or initiate or respond to litigation which involves the placement or removal of a child.
• Adult Protective Services (2)
  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.
• Advance Medical Directives (2)
  FT-2700.0500

  Advance Medical Directives

  FT-2700.0500
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to use the tools appropriate in their state to express their wishes regarding future medical treatment should they become incapacitated and/or to name the individual they would like to make health care decisions on their behalf. Included are programs that provide copies of necessary forms as well as those that help people complete them.
• Court Filing Offices (1)
  FJ-1600

  Court Filing Offices

  FJ-1600
  
  Divisions or programs of the court that accept and file actions, petitions, motions or other applications from the public for the purpose of obtaining a ruling or order directing some action in favor of the applicant. Court filings are generally completed by a lawyer on behalf of a client, though some jurisdictions may permit (but not recommend) filing by clients on their own behalf.
• 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 (1)
  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.
• Elder Law (1)
  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.
• Foster Care Legal Services (1)
  FT-3000.2100

  Foster Care Legal Services

  FT-3000.2100
  
  Programs that provide legal assistance for children and youth in foster care, children for whom parental rights have been terminated ("legal orphans" for whom the state is now the parent), youth transitioning into adulthood and others who have contact with the foster care system that informs them of their rights, helps them understand their options and enables them to have a voice in decisions about where they live, their health care, their education, their basic needs and other critical issues.
• General Legal Aid (1)
  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.
• Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs (2)
  FT-4950

  Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs

  FT-4950
  
  Programs that investigate and attempt to resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of nursing facilities, residential care homes, assisted living facilities and other supervised living facilities for older adults. The program also promotes policies and practices that improve the quality of life, health, safety, welfare and rights of residents; monitors laws, regulations and policies that affect those who live in long-term care facilities; provides the public with information about long-term care options; and promotes the development of consumer organizations concerned about long-term care. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long term care system.
• Patient Rights Assistance (6)
  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.
• Probate Courts (1)
  FC-8200.8100-650

  Probate Courts

  FC-8200.8100-650
  
  State courts that handle regular guardianships, the establishment of decedents' wills, the settlement of decedents' estates, and decisions relating to the administration of the estates of minors and individuals adjudged to be incompetent to manage their own affairs.
• Small Claims Courts (2)
  FC-8200.8100-800

  Small Claims Courts

  FC-8200.8100-800
  
  State courts that hear civil cases involving no more than $5,000 and which require parties to the action to present their own cases. The judge hears both sides and renders a judgment.
• Traffic Courts (2)
  FC-8200.8100-900

  Traffic Courts

  FC-8200.8100-900
  
  State courts that hear cases which involve metropolitan area traffic violations.
• Trust Preparation Assistance (1)
  FT-2700.8600

  Trust Preparation Assistance

  FT-2700.8600
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to prepare a trust which transfers all or some of their property to a trustee who holds or manages that property on behalf of a beneficiary (which may include the individual who initiates the trust). The rights of beneficiaries and the rights, powers and responsibilities of the trustee are included in the trust document. Trusts may be revocable (can be altered or revoked) or irrevocable (cannot be altered or canceled once written but carry special tax benefits); can take effect immediately or can be established as standby trusts, ready to receive assets if the individual becomes disabled; can be established as testamentary trusts which take effect after the death of the individual under the terms or conditions of his/her will; or can be supplemental benefits or luxury trusts which are used to transfer assets to a person who may receive public benefits and could be used to fund items not covered by the benefits without affecting the individual's benefit eligibility.
• Will Preparation Assistance (1)
  FT-2700.9500

  Will Preparation Assistance

  FT-2700.9500
  
  Programs that provide assistance on an individual or group basis for people who want to draft a Last Will and Testament which leaves instructions for the disposition of their property following their death and need assistance in ensuring that the document is properly written. Also included are programs that provide copies of the Last Will and Testament form that is valid in their jurisdiction.