Insight Into Legal Aid Services
Legal Aid is a nonprofit legal organization that provides legal assistance to low-income people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. When you have a civil legal problem and you qualify for legal aid, you are matched with an attorney who works with you to find a solution. The process often begins with an online questionnaire that determines if you are eligible for services. If approved, you may have the option of working with a volunteer lawyer through a pro bono program, having an attorney represent you in court or your case being placed in a law school’s legal clinic for further assistance.
Legal Aid is for civil issues only; they do not provide support for criminal charges. If, for example, you are having issues with your landlord and believe your children are in danger because of your living conditions, you would be able to seek help from Legal Aid . Legal Aid can help with legal issues regarding identity theft, housing, domestic violence, bankruptcy, employment, healthcare, consumer problems, and end of life issues such as wills and guardianship.
Typically, the types of cases they provide support for include:
• Family law
• Housing & evictions
• Domestic violence
• Immigration issues
• Health law
• Consumer issues
• Education rights
• Special education
• Long-term care
• Bankruptcy
• Government benefits
Keep in mind that they do NOT assist with criminal matters, many family law matters, personal injury, wills, libel & slander, prenuptial agreements, personal bankruptcy, tax, workman’s compensation, malpractice, or benefits disputes.
Who Qualifies for Legal Aid Services in Western Ohio
Legal aid organizations in Western Ohio serve low-income individuals and families facing legal problems that affect their basic needs. Eligibility is determined by several factors, including income and the types of legal issues presented. The legal aid offices have eligibility guidelines and a process to screen applicants by phone and in person. They will advise you as to your eligibility or point you to where you can get assistance. Those who qualify for legal aid can receive assistance with a variety of different issues.
Income Limits: To qualify for assistance, you must meet certain income limits. Legal Services Corporation (America’s Partner for Equal Justice in the 21st Century) (LSC) is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress in 1974 to support civil legal aid for low-income Americans. LSC has established eligibility guidelines which define economic eligibility. The following income chart indicates the income limits for eligibility to receive aid offered through the Ohio Legal Aid Society. The chart shows monthly income limits for financial eligibility and standard financial guidelines for special groups such as seniors, pregnant women, disabled persons and military personnel. You and your family (if any) must meet certain income guidelines. Income includes wages, salaries, cash assistance (AFDC, SSI, etc.), pensions, social security, disability insurance, retirement plans, and unemployment benefits. If your monthly gross income is less than the amount indicated on the chart and the special groups guidelines, you may qualify for legal aid services.
Residency: In order to qualify for legal aid, you must be a resident of Ohio and meet income guidelines. Additionally, it is important that applicants for legal aid have legal problems in the counties the legal aid society represents.
Other Factors: If you do not meet income guidelines, you may be eligible for help if you are: Income alone does not determine eligibility. Parents or guardians of minors may be eligible if the minor is legally able to present an action. If you or your family earn more than the income levels listed above, do not hesitate to apply.
Locating Providers of Legal Aid in Western Ohio
In Western Ohio, several legal aid organizations and services provide support to low-income individuals. These range from statewide resources like the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation (OLAF) to county and city-specific pro bono agencies.
The Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation helps make justice available to low-income Ohio residents by managing the statewide network of civil legal aid providers. By identifying needs, OLAF supports legal aid programs such as Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE®), and Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati in their work. Additionally, OLAF provides funding statewide to community organizations, support networks, bar associations, and pro bono programs.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE®) supports low-income and vulnerable residents of Western Ohio with civil legal aid throughout 32 counties. It has funding and grants to support programs and lawyers that help public interest law.
Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati is similar to ABLE in that it seeks to provide free legal assistance in roughly 40 counties in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. This includes advocates for disabled people, family protection, housing, and debt relief.
The Cincinnati Bar Association provides web-based legal aid and referrals to programs in the Cincinnati area. They also collaborate with both ABLE and Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati in providing pro bono services.
The Northwest Ohio Pro Bono Collaborative is a consortium of volunteer-based pro bono programs working together to maintain equal access to civil justice in Wood, Lucas, Ottawa, and Erie counties. They also collaborate with the Toledo Bar Association.
Legal Aid Handles These Types of Cases
Legal Aid advocates cover a broad range of legal issues in Western Ohio. The most common areas that our attorneys handle fall under family law, housing (including tenant/landlord issues, foreclosure, and utilities), and consumer rights. Legal aid lawyers are not about getting a handful of cases and then fighting in court. We often see a high volume of the same types of cases coming in – usually associated with the issue that a particular area is having, whether that is poverty, child abuse, family separation, domestic violence, or housing problems. The need is great and changes from year to year. While we cannot help everyone, we represent as many people as possible. Legal Aid lawyers stress quality over quantity, and our goal is to provide quality legal assistance to a significant number of people in need of advocacy. We also work hard to be part of the solution – our collective goal is to increase access to justice for all. Any client who qualifies for and needs our services will be assisted promptly and professionally, but Legal Aid does have an application process through which the need for our services is determined and prioritized by need and ability. The greatest need is typically for legal assistance with family problems, and 80% of the cases we handle relate to the family . The most common issues that clients turn to Legal Aid for include divorces, domestic violence, paternity, and custody and visitation disputes. Unfortunately, many low-income Americans face housing issues; therefore, housing has become one of the most common problems handled by legal aid. Clients seek help with landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosure, utilities, and eviction. Domestic violence also draws a high number of clients to us, with many of our cases including instances where intervention by a Legal Aid advocate has prevented further harm. Although less common, legal assistance involving public benefits includes representation for unemployment insurance claims, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance, assistance with Social Security Disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims, Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Social Security. Additional types of legal cases that we handle include credit issues, consumer problems, wills and probate matters, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Legal Aid doesn’t only advocate for individual clients. We also work on behalf of clients’ unrepresented on criminal matters. Legal Aid lawyers represent clients who are seeking expungement of criminal records, wages adapt by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), drivers licenses suspended due to poverty, and right to obtain or maintain licenses.
What Is the Benefit of Legal Aid to the Community?
The benefits of Legal Aid extend far beyond the direct legal services provided to our clients. Most of us understand the correlation between low-income individuals and the barriers they face in obtaining legal assistance, and that a lack of income is often times linked to greater problems with housing, physical and mental health, unemployment, family, children and educational issues.
On the macro level, the services we provide help our communities in myriad ways. According to a 2008 study by National Economic Development and Law Center (NEDLC), every $1 invested in legal aid yields an ROI of $2.59 in economic benefits. NEDLC went on further to say that such investments and the work of LSC-funded legal aid programs generate nearly $1 billion each year in economic benefits. Those statistics alone are powerful ones but when placed in the context of the 1.2 million people served each year by LSC-funded legal aid programs, the economic impact is staggering. Add to that the length of time federal funding for LSC has been stagnant, and the forecasted effect of potential cuts to LSC funding, it’s clear why support for Legal Aid is critically important to all of us.
Aside from meeting our funding needs, the overarching hope is that we will better the quality of life of everyone through access to justice, support of our justice system and economic growth of our communities.
Successes and Testimonials
In the past five years, over 15,000 individuals have received free legal assistance from Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati’s Western Ohio branch, with 71% of survey respondents who use our services reporting that they hadn’t received help before coming to Legal Aid.
"Being a husband and father of three, I tried to put the needs of my family ahead of myself. With having a bad back, I needed to seek help to settle a workers’ compensation case that had been dragging on for nearly four years. I was fortunate to reach out to Legal Aid’s Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati’s Western Ohio Branch, where I received prompt and well-deserved assistance in bringing my case to a close. Without the help of Attorney James Kiely, I do not know how or even if I would have been able to get an individual award working in conjunction with a workers’ compensation lawyer. With nearly $24,000 in medical bills, I was fully prepared to walk away from this case and live with what I felt was the best decision at the time. To make a long story short, my case was settled for slightly over $31,000. My family is now officially living within our means, and without a cloud hanging over our heads, and I would like to thank Legal Aid’s staff members for their help, especially Legal Aid Attorney James Kiely."
– Citizen the second, Vandenbossche, Hicksville, OH
"In my case, I had already taken custody of my grandchildren in April 2011. The father was serving a one-year prison sentence in the Ohio State Penitentiary at London, Ohio, for drug-related charges. Grandmother had previously raised two, long ago and seesawing into custody/turnover to mom and dad 3 or 4 times. Grandmother was getting frustrated and just wanted to go for guardianship of the children and started the process on her own , but was told to try the Court Clinic for help. I went there and met Mr. Evans who took the case on. It took a while but it seems to me that he really got to know the story, the people involved as well as the court system in Fulton County, and guided us through the process. We met each month for court hearings, and we learned more. We weren’t trying to make it hard on the other people, we were there for the good of the children. The warmth of the whole clinic, the people we met and talked to gave us the confidence to follow through without having to attend lock-up court directly. Grandmother just had to show up and explain to the judge that these kids are where they need to be, with the right people (herself). She received guardianship in early November 2011. We are blessed. And we are thankful for the work Legal Aid Services performed to help us!"
– John Bergstrom, Delta, Ohio
"I contacted Legal Aid because I have been disabled since 2011. I get a Social Security check and unfortunately never have enough. So with the assistance of Christy, I got a court date that was helpful for my child support hearing. In addition to the child support hearing that we could not bring the father to court after three attempts to get him to pay, it was also about our parenting time, and the ability to move out of state if we ever had the chance. There was a provision in the divorce paperwork that limited us. I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the service that was provided, and I really appreciate it. This is a very difficult time for me and I am thankful for the help.
– Mary Hartman, Englewood, Ohio.