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Legal Services

    Results: 13

  • Adult Protective Services (1)
    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.
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (1)
    FP-0700

    Alternative Dispute Resolution

    FP-0700

    Programs that offer procedures for settling disputes which serve as alternatives to a conventional court trial. ADR procedures are less costly than litigation, produce a settlement more quickly, allow for more flexibility, preserve relationships among parties, permit confidentiality and can produce solutions that are satisfactory to both parties rather than a winner and a loser.
  • Child Support Assistance/Enforcement (1)
    FT-3000.1600

    Child Support Assistance/Enforcement

    FT-3000.1600

    Programs that provide assistance which helps to ensure that parents fulfill their mutual obligation to financially support and provide health care for their children. Included are services for people who want to locate an absent parent; establish paternity; establish a child support order; request that the non-custodial parent provide health insurance for a child in conjunction with a child support order; change the amount of a child support award; dispute a child support award; or enforce payment of child support monies in cases where the supporting parent is delinquent in paying or refuses to pay or make health insurance arrangements altogether. Child support is money paid by one parent to another for the maintenance, including the education, of their children following the dissolution of their marriage or other relationship. Non-custodial parents enrolled in an insurance plan at work may be required to include the child under this coverage while those not covered by any insurance plan may be required to obtain medical coverage, if available at a reasonable cost. Child support assistance/enforcement may be provided by private attorneys, legal clinics, family law facilitators' offices or child support enforcement programs which are available in all states, often as a component of the district attorney's office.
  • Children's Protective Services (1)
    PH-6500.1500

    Children's Protective Services

    PH-6500.1500

    Programs that investigate reports of child abuse, neglect or abandonment; document substantiated cases; provide for the temporary placement of children who, for their own protection, have been removed from the custody of the adults who are responsible for their care; work with families who are experiencing a problem with child abuse with the objective of facilitating continued family unification or reunification; and provide ongoing supportive services for children in permanent placement.
  • Concealed Weapons Permits (1)
    DF-7000.1470

    Concealed Weapons Permits

    DF-7000.1470

    Programs that issue permits which authorize individuals to carry guns, knives, tasers and other personal protection devices on their body and in their vehicle. The specific nature of the weapons which require a carry permit varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Lawyer Referral Services (1)
    FT-4800

    Lawyer Referral Services

    FT-4800

    Programs that maintain lists of private attorneys and link people who need legal assistance with lawyers who specialize in the required area of law.
  • Long Term Care Ombudsman Programs (1)
    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.
  • Notary Public Services (2)
    FT-6100

    Notary Public Services

    FT-6100

    Public officials who are authorized by the state to administer oaths and affirmations, take affidavits and depositions, attest to the authenticity of signatures and take acknowledgment of and certify deeds and other conveyances.
  • 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.
  • Veteran Benefits Assistance (5)
    FT-1000.9000

    Veteran Benefits Assistance

    FT-1000.9000

    Programs that provide assistance for veterans who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law based on service to their country. The programs may help veterans understand the eligibility criteria for benefits, the benefits provided by the program, the payment process and the rights of beneficiaries; provide consultation and advice; help them complete benefits application forms; negotiate on their behalf with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are Veteran Services Officers (VSOs) who are trained and accredited by the Veteran's Administration (VA) and can be found in offices specific to each state, the county courthouse, the local VA office and local veteran's rights organizations; as well as legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.