A Closer Look at Legal Aid Services
Legal aid services comprise a network of civil legal assistance provided by non-profit organizations to low-income individuals and families. They exist to help those who cannot afford to hire a private attorney. Although the types of legal issues handled by legal aid vary from program to program, they usually relate to basic needs such as safety, shelter, subsistence, health care, and disability access. The goal is that all people, regardless of economic status, should have access to the legal system.
In recent years, legal aid services have expanded their focus to include issues such as immigration, domestic violence, consumer fraud, and access to government services, thus creating a holistic approach to addressing major legal barriers for low-income community members .
Legal aid programs receive funding from both government and non-government sources, enabling them to supply a broad range of services for vulnerable populations. A central component of their work is providing pro bono representation to individuals who would otherwise be unable to afford legal services. In most cases, non-lawyer staff screens applications from prospective clients and then refers them to a private attorney in the community who has agreed to assist on a pro bono basis. The pro bono lawyer is then responsible for the cost of the case.
Who Qualifies for Legal Aid in Warren County?
Legal aid organizations in the state of Ohio typically require individuals to meet specific income levels, which are usually determined annually. For a household of one person, the income cap is $26,150 while two-person households may have an income of up to $34,350 to qualify for assistance. To be eligible for legal aid, applicants must have both a civil and an economic need. Civil needs involve circumstances such as domestic abuse, inability to pay for critical medications and wrongful eviction. Economic need may be determined on the basis that an individual is homeless, unemployed or reliant on public assistance programs.
The availability of specific types of legal aid services may vary by county in Ohio. Applicants should be aware that even if they are the correct economic and civil need, the type of legal services available may differ from other areas in the state. In Warren County, legal aid is available for some family law matters, including divorce, bankruptcy, adoption, guardian and visitation issues. While legal assistance for children or the elderly in certain situations is typically included in the services offered by the organization, legal representation of juveniles who are charged with crimes is not.
The types of cases that legal aid may help families with include juvenile dependency, child support, adult guardianship, child custody and dissolution of marriage. For example, if a parent is negligent in their care of a child in Warren County, they may need legal protection from legal aid so that their custodial rights are not unfairly revoked.
Steps to Request Legal Aid
It is worth noting that the availability of legal aid can sometimes depend on the type of legal issue at hand. For instance, juvenile legal aid programs may not apply if you are substantially involved in the criminal justice system, or if the case you need help with is against a government agency. More generally, legal aid may be available for health care and disability issues, homelessness issues, domestic violence issues, and social security issues, among other things. When it comes to applying for legal aid, knowing what is available makes the process a little less complicated overall.
Generally speaking, a number of documents are likely to be required when you apply for legal aid in Warren County, Ohio. Those documents can include proof of income, a social security card, photo ID, proof of eviction, abuse, foreclosure, or termination from government benefits, of proof that you applied for a food stamp card. Depending on which of these conditions applies to your situation, there may be one or more documents required in addition to the ones just listed. In addition, as you can see, you cannot be an inmate in order to qualify for legal aid. After you fill out the application, the next thing that will happen is that you either continue filling out forms, an attorney will contact you, or you may be referred to other resources.
Legal aid in Warren County, Ohio can be obtained from Reach Out of Montgomery County. Applying for legal can either be done online or over the phone. Unfortunately, the website for Reach Out of Montgomery County currently has limited content that offers much guidance for anyone looking to apply for legal aid, and the current contact information also seems to be out of date.
The general information for Reach Out of Montgomery County includes:
• Address: 436 Alexander Lane, Dayton, Ohio 45420
• Phone: (937) 258-2000
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
Because their website offers little information, we have included additional information on how to contact them. If the phone number is out of date, you can still access the website above and simply apply online. It is not clear if you might need printed copies of documents as part of the online application, but it is still probably worth having those printed just in case.
Legal Matters Covered by Legal Aid
A broad range of legal issues are handled by Warren County legal aid. In fact, the Ohio Supreme Court provides a list of civil issues that legal aid can handle on its website. The details below are helpful in determining what the parameters of the program’s scope.
The first major type of issue handled by Warren County legal aid is family law matters. Cases include divorce, custody, and visitation issues. The number of calls received indicates that these types of matters are the most common reason for seeking lawyers from this program. In addition to the cases detailed above, a wide range of divorce-related issues are handled.
Family law matters handled by Warren County legal aid in Ohio include: Landlord/tenant issues and housing disputes are the second most common type of cases handled by Warren County legal aid. The most common housing case handled by the program is an eviction. Eviction cases are not specific to Warren County. Similar problems are found throughout other areas of Ohio and the United States.
Other types of civil matters handled by Warren County legal aid are as follows:
• Child support
• Consumer protection
• Military legal issues
• Domestic violence
• Guardianships
• Credit issues
• Contracts
• Personal injury
Beyond the aforementioned legal matters, Warren County legal aid also handles foundational legal issues. These types of concerns often affect a range of substantive areas of law. These issues include creating wills to handle distribution of assets after death, probate issues, the establishment of powers of attorney to manage certain types of affairs, and establishing health care directives and similar documents.
Last, it is important to recognize what types of legal matters are not typically handled by Warren County legal aid. For example, these types of legal matters are essentially represented by the opposite of the services offered by the program.
Situations where legal aid is not available include:
Warren County-Based Legal Aid Organizations
While there are no dedicated legal aid organizations headquartered in Warren County, residents have access to services offered by statewide and regional programs. In addition to statewide services, residents will find that there are local bar associations that may provide or coordinate pro bono support. These include:
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
The Greater Cincinnati office of the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati provides legal assistance to low-income individuals and families in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Within Warren County, Legal Aid is active near Mason where the organization offers a Mason Resource Center, which provides free legal consultations on a walk-in basis and offers special clinics to solve specific legal problems.
The Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati also conducts community education and outreach programs in Warren County. The non-profit’s website features a full calendar of upcoming events and clinics.
Phone: (513) 241-9400
Website: www.lascinti.org
Hours: Monday – Thursday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Address: 215 E. Ninth Street, Suite 400, Cincinnati, Ohio , 45202
Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)
Residents of Warren County seeking legal aid and representation for tax-related matters throughout Greater Cincinnati may benefit from the services of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC). The clinic assists those who can’t afford legal representation in disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and Ohio Department of Taxation.
Phone: (513) 651-6488
Website: www.litc.lascinti.org
Hours: Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass
Nearby Legal Aid of the Bluegrass serves residents throughout Northern Kentucky, including residents of Hamilton, Warren, Butler, and Clermont counties in southwest Ohio. The nonprofit provides support to residents in need of civil legal aid and offers many resources online. The organization provides legal assistance to help individuals reach economic self-sufficiency and increase financial stability.
Apply online for assistance or call for support with consumer issues, pursuing guardianship, obtaining orders of protection, or tenant landlord problems. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass also offers information on groups and volunteer opportunities for pro bono work in the region.
Phone: (859) 281-8200
Website: www.lablba.org
Hours: Monday – Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Address: 200 E. Main St., Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Legal Aid Success Stories
In Warren County, as in any community, the most compelling evidence for the necessity and benefit of legal aid services comes straight from the people served. Here, we share real-world examples from Warren County residents whose lives have been positively transformed through access to justice.
"Legal Aid helped me pay for my divorce, which I could never have afforded without them. For that I am eternally grateful." – Warren County client
"I am appreciative of the legal aid clinic. It was very beneficial to me to have them help resolve my issues. They listened to my situation and connected me with the right resource to help my case." – Warren County client
"The attorneys were very nice and professional. The clinic was very helpful to me and I am grateful for their help." – Warren County client
"The attorneys were all very knowledgeable and courteous. I found them quite helpful and easy to talk to." – Warren County client
More Information and Helpful Resources
In addition to the resources mentioned above, there are a number of other services that can provide support. The Ohio Attorney General’s website has a list of hotlines and centers that can help guide you to the appropriate legal service providers. Speaking with professionals who already have experience with these organizations can be incredibly helpful: ask your local law enforcement or a trusted friend or family member to recommend someone. Many businesses in Warren County are also sympathetic to those in need: senior housing establishments frequently provide hot meals and churches offer food drives. Additional resources in neighboring counties include Montgomery County’s Legal Aid Society of Dayton, Brown County’s Pro Bono Program, and Butler and Clermont County’s Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, which provides access to not only Ohio but also Kentucky and Indiana.
Ohio Lawyer Finder is an online service created by the Ohio State Bar Association to help the public find local lawyers . Simply enter your city and county, the type of law you need assistance with, and other information such as language or disability requirements and a quick description of your issue, and the site will return a filtered list of attorneys who have signed up for the service. It’s free to use and, while the lawyers themselves pay to be included in the service, the fees collected go directly towards Client Security Fund to help reimburse Ohio clients who have lost money due to an attorney’s misappropriation.
Locally, Abby Parsons, Bar Association of Warren County’s Legal Services Director, coordinates the Warren County Pro Bono Project, which helps those who cannot afford to pay for legal services through a variety of resources. One of these is The Ohio State Bar Association Publication Division’s sobar.org, which contains valuable information on a number of topics, including criminal law, employment, housing, and consumer law. The resources on this site, some of which are offered in Spanish, help users better understand their issues and access the appropriate legal service providers.