Legal Aid Services Explained
Legal aid services are programs and organizations that offer free legal assistance to low-income people facing non-criminal legal problems. Legal aid aims to provide everyone with the opportunity for equal access to justice, regardless of their financial means. In Georgia, legal aid is delivered through a network of nonprofit law firms that receive funding from LSC and other local funding sources.
LSC-funded legal services providers include:
Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP)
Georgia Legal Services Program is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to increasing equal access to the civil justice system for low income persons and communities in Georgia. GLSP assists clients in achieving economic security and independence, gaining access to healthcare, preserving stable housing, obtaining safe and affordable childcare, stopping domestic violence, and overcoming other significant legal obstacles.
Atlanta Legal Aid Society (ALAS)
Atlanta Legal Aid Society has been a provider of free civil legal services for the poor in the greater Atlanta area for over 90 years . Legal Aid represents victims of domestic violence, tenants, the disabled, people facing foreclosure, and many more who cannot afford representation. ALAS also educates clients and community organizations about their legal rights.
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF)
Help people who cannot afford an attorney. Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (through volunteer lawyers, exclusively) provides free civil legal services for people living at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines. AVLF helps families with children, veterans, women, survivors of domestic violence, homeowners facing foreclosure and eviction, and many other civil legal issues. The foundation also offers various pro bono legal clinics for the homeless, i.e., for DUI offenders and for women and children. Lastly, while there is a fee for representation at all ASU criminal law clinics, AVLF regularly seeks pro bono attorneys in those cases.
Who Qualifies for Legal Aid in Brunswick
Income Requirements of Clients
Legal aid services in Brunswick, GA, like in most parts of the country, have income requirements for people who are seeking legal help. They level is typically between 125 to 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or an annual salary of near $30,000. Those workers making more may be barred from receiving these kinds of services. Households of all sizes can be eligible, and legal aid offices can be less strict if the person seeking aid lives in an area with a weaker economy or lack of available jobs.
Type of Cases
Legal aid agencies in Georgia typically take on cases that deal with family law, consumer issues, public benefits, employment, housing, healthcare, private educational loans, crime victims, and representation for certain low-income veterans and military personnel. Legal Aid of Georgia cooperates with a variety of partner organizations to help residents who are having issues with their credit. They can send those clients to Georgia Credit Counseling, a nonprofit organization that offers free counseling. In turn, when a client has a legal issue, these agencies will refer them to Legal Aid of Georgia.
Exceptions to Keeping Cases in Georgia
In some cases, people do not meet the financial eligibility requirements to receive legal aid. This does not stop their case from being heard in the courts. People who have had their cases rejected can still file petitions and make their arguments in a courtroom. However, they will not be able to receive free legal advice or lawyers to represent them in that case. A lot of courts in Georgia do not require that parties be represented by a lawyer, so individuals are well within their right to argue when necessary.
Types of Services Offered by Legal Aid
Legal Aid attorneys and other staff members handle a wide range of legal issues, helping low-income residents in Brunswick. Among the matters that are commonly worked on are family law issues, including child custody and support, domestic violence, and divorce. Housing issues, such as evictions, landlord/tenant disputes, and repairs, are also frequently addressed. In addition, Consumer Rights has been a growing field of assistance from legal aid in the past few years. Given that many of Georgia’s residents are older adults, seniors are frequently helped with probate matters, elder abuse, and more. Other school of law areas covered by legal aid in Brunswick include family law, housing, veterans’ benefits, farm and environmental issues, and disability rights.
Human trafficking has also been a recent area of assistance provided by legal aid in the last few years, as this has been a growing problem in coastal Georgia.
Application Process for Legal Aid
How to Apply for Legal Aid in Brunswick, GA
Applying for legal aid in Brunswick, Georgia, is a straightforward process. The need for legal assistance can be daunting, but there are several agencies that can provide help. Some of them may charge for services based on your income level and/or the complexity of the case. These organizations typically go about the process in the same manner. While steps may differ slightly by organization, the general outline of the process below is mostly universal.
The first step in the process is to contact a representative from the legal aid office directly by telephone or through email. In many cases, it is necessary to visit the office in person to speak to a member of the staff.
Always review the website of the organization before making contact. This will help you determine whether your situation qualifies for assistance. In addition, review the list of items required to apply so that you have the information ready upon first contact. In most cases, the form of contact will not determine whether you qualify for any legal aid. Instead, this is simply the initial process for making contact and determining eligibility.
The information that you’ll need to qualify for legal aid in Brunswick, GA, will include:
All information provided to the legal aid agency is confidential. This holds true even if legal aid is unable to provide assistance for your case. It is vital that you answer all questions honestly. In some cases, the agency will refer you to another agency, or suggest that you seek alternative solutions to your problem if you aren’t eligible for legal aid.
You can apply for legal aid at any time. There is no timeframe for providing such information. Understand, however, that you will have a far more successful application process if you provide all required information during the first attempt to qualify for aid.
In the case that you apply for legal aid and do not qualify, you will receive a letter in the mail stating that you are ineligible for assistance. Keep this letter for your records. In some instances, you may appeal the decision, as set forth in the letter. Keep in mind, however, that the appeal will only reconsider the determination of eligibility. This is not an opportunity to reopen your case with any additional information.
Local Legal Aid Organizations in Brunswick
The Georgia Legal Services Program provides legal aid services in Brunswick, GA. This nonprofit is devoted to providing equal access to justice for low-income Georgians. They have a wide array of programs that help thousands of people each year. This free legal aid program is located at 1361 Church St, Ste 100, Brunswick, GA , 31525. You can contact them by phone at 912-264-0575 or through their website at http://www.glsp.org/directory/brunswick-gp-3rd-jud-cir. GLSP only provides legal assistance to low-income residents who meet income qualifications. They also serve the disabled.
Another resource for finding free legal aid in your own area of Georgia is GeorgiaLegalAid.org. This user-friendly website will help you to find what you need. You’ll find a large directory of services and resources on this website to help you choose from. You may need to try several different searches before you find what you’re looking for. The Georgia Legal Services Program is also featured on this website. You can also access their resources from Georgia Legal Aid’s 16 regional offices.
Advantages of Legal Aid for Residents
Liberty and justice are rights that should be enjoyed by all, yet in reality, the lack of access to quality legal representation often widens the gap in inequality, leading to social injustices. Legal aid programs like those in Brunswick, GA are working to bridge that gap by providing free representation for underprivileged members of the community.
Legal aid not only plays a fundamental role in reducing inequality, but it also empowers residents by providing them with the legal platform upon which they can voice their concerns and affect change. Legal aid programs serve vulnerable populations by providing a safety net for those facing abuse, neglect, homelessness, and unemployment. Legal aid centers also provide legal services to low-income families, people with disabilities, the elderly, and immigrants. These citizens cannot afford steep legal fees or hire an attorney out of desperation, knowing that without sound legal representation, a minor issue might develop into a major crisis.
Legal aid impacts the community by providing holistic, long-term solutions to maintaining civil rights for the citizens of Brunswick. In terms of providing services wielding authority, the Department of Justice recommends individuals facing eviction from public housing communities contact legal aid for assistance in filing their cases or appealing decisions in that arena.
When low-income residents need legal counsel and representation on a variety of issues-from eviction to domestic violence-abuse and neglect, from a housing impact to potential immigration violations, legal aid provides a much-needed safe haven. Whether through a non-conditional referral or direct assistance, legal aid provides valuable advocacy to low-income residents. Academic studies have proven that these efforts lead to alleviation of poverty, thus paving the way for a stronger and more prosperous community, especially in areas like Brunswick, GA.
Citizens of Brunswick may enjoy an improved quality of life through the following benefits:
Legal Aid Challenges in the Community
Despite the undeniable importance of legal aid to the community, there are several challenges which constrain service. The scope of the needs is challenging enough on its own—considering the factors of high poverty rates, a growing population and increased complexity of legal issues for a low-income individual to navigate—but without the resources necessary to meet those needs, the overall effect of the community is devastating. Simply put, there aren’t enough hours in the day to meet the full demand for legal aid services in Brunswick. The overwhelming problem is that the demand for services exceeds the available capacity of agencies to meet the demand. In 2015, there were only 1.4 attorneys per 10,000 people eligible for services in the Brunswick area, and 3.40 attorneys per 10,000 people in Liberty County. This high ratio of eligible indigent persons to trained staffing results in a substantial proportion of persons likely to be eligible for legal services but who do not receive legal assistance from the agencies. Further , though the proportionate ratio of attorneys to legal indigent persons in the service area seems adequate to meet the need for legal aid, the reality is that the amount of hours of actual legal aid provided by the staff cannot approach the number of hours necessary to meaningfully address the legal needs of low-income individuals in the community. In short, many legal issues experienced by low-income individuals have opposing sides represented by counsel; whereas non-represented clients for legal aid get no legal assistance and are often unable to navigate the legal system on their own. The vast majority of clients seen by legal aid service providers are denied services due to insufficient available capacity. Advocacy efforts in the greater southern Georgia community to secure equal access to justice for low-income individuals require an unprecedented level of pro bono work by private attorneys in order to help those in need.