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Legal Services

    Results: 27

  • 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.
  • Community Correctional Centers (3)
    FF-0500.1250

    Community Correctional Centers

    FF-0500.1250

    Community based facilities that provide supervised living and support services for nonviolent offenders and released inmates who meet specified criteria. Residents may be community sentenced offenders or probation/parole violators placed in the facility for disciplinary sanctions as an alternative to incarceration, work release offenders, offenders owing restitution, offenders who need intensive programming, and/or offenders who have demonstrated positive adjustment while in an institutional setting and need additional support to ease the transition from incarceration to community living. Some facilities may target specific groups of offenders such as women with young children who may remain with their mothers for the duration of their stay while others are structured to accept multiple types of offenders. Residents may be permitted to leave for work, school, or treatment, but are otherwise restricted to the facility. Specific privileges and restrictions depend on the population served. Residence in a community based correctional facility may be imposed as a "stand alone" sentence by the courts, be a condition of supervised release for intermittent confinements or split sentences (a term of imprisonment followed by other, less restrictive sanctions), be used to tighten restrictions on offenders who have violated the conditions of their probation/parole, or provide a transitional setting for offenders selected for placement by a correctional institution at the end of their sentence. Community correctional centers may be in the community or attached to a jail or similar institution, and may be privately operated or operated by a correctional authority.
  • Crime Victim Support (1)
    FN-1900

    Crime Victim Support

    FN-1900

    Programs whose objective is to help victims of crimes and their families recover from the trauma of their experience, get medical assistance when required, make their way through the legal system, have an opportunity to provide input to parole or clemency hearings, take appropriate steps, where relevant, to avoid becoming re-victimized, access the benefits to which they are entitled and rebuild their lives.
  • Discrimination Assistance (1)
    FT-1800

    Discrimination Assistance

    FT-1800

    Programs that provide assistance for people who believe that they have been treated unfairly or denied normal privileges based on their age, gender, race or ethnic origin, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation or marital status.
  • Driver Licenses (1)
    DF-7000.1850

    Driver Licenses

    DF-7000.1850

    Programs that issue permits which provide written authorization for an individual to operate a motor vehicle on public roads and highways following successful completion of a written and/or driving examination and a vision test. These programs also renew driver licenses that are about to expire, replace driver licenses that are lost or stolen, and process name and address changes.
  • 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.
  • Guardianship Assistance (1)
    FT-6900.2500

    Guardianship Assistance

    FT-6900.2500

    Programs that provide assistance for people who are in favor of or want to oppose the appointment of a guardian to care for and/or manage the affairs of a child or adolescent during minority (generally younger than age 18). In some states, particularly those with no arrangements for conservatorships, whose conservatorships are voluntary covering property and powers designated by the conservatee or whose conservatorships address only the individual's estate, guardianships may also apply to adults who have been found by the courts to be incapable of managing their own affairs.
  • Identification Cards (1)
    DF-7000.3300

    Identification Cards

    DF-7000.3300

    Programs that issue documentation that is designed to prove the identity of the person carrying it.
  • Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services (2)
    FT-3600

    Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services

    FT-3600

    Programs that provide legal assistance for immigrants, nonimmigrant visa applicants, asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents who are seeking naturalization. Services are generally provided by nonprofit immigration law offices and may involve information and consultation about benefits under immigration law including procedures for obtaining student, visitor and employment-based visas; family immigration; asylee status; lawful permanent residence status; or citizenship.
  • Juvenile Detention Facilities (2)
    FF-1500.3500

    Juvenile Detention Facilities

    FF-1500.3500

    Facilities that provide for the detention of minors who have been arrested for violating a federal or state law or a municipal or local ordinance pending a court hearing or release; and/or which provide for the confinement, treatment, employment, training and discipline of juveniles convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced by Youth or Juvenile Court to serve a period of time in a juvenile detention facility which may include juvenile hall, juvenile probation camp or a state reformatory site.
  • Law Enforcement Agencies (10)
    FL

    Law Enforcement Agencies

    FL

    City, county, state or federal government agencies or university departments that are responsible for preserving peace, protecting life and property, preventing and detecting crime and apprehending and arresting suspects. Also included are special purpose public police forces that have full peace officer powers but only within limited jurisdictions, e.g., public parks, public transit facilities, public housing projects, local school district campuses.
  • 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.
  • Legal Counseling (7)
    FP-4000

    Legal Counseling

    FP-4000

    Programs that are staffed by lawyers who offer information and guidance regarding legal matters, proposed lines of conduct, claims or contentions including opinions on the party's rights, responsibilities and liabilities; and who offer suggestions for an appropriate course of action, but do not represent clients in court.
  • Legal Information Services (3)
    TJ-3200.4500

    Legal Information Services

    TJ-3200.4500

    Programs that provide information about specific legal problems and procedures that interested individuals can access on a website or in person, or by telephone, email, chat, text or other communication channel. Information may be in a self-serve, browsable format (for example a web resource directory or library of audio recordings) or provided by live agents with expertise in the field. Also included are legal aid services, bar associations and other programs that provide basic information about family law, landlord/tenant law, immigration law, consumer law, elder law, patient rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, the criminal justice system, the civil court system and other legal topics via workshops, classes, speaking engagements, printed materials, video tutorials, websites and other similar educational avenues.
  • Legal Representation (2)
    FP-4500

    Legal Representation

    FP-4500

    Programs that are staffed by lawyers who appear on behalf of their clients in criminal, civil and/or administrative actions and proceedings in addition to offering legal advice and guidance.
  • Mediation (1)
    FP-0700.5000

    Mediation

    FP-0700.5000

    Programs that provide a neutral third person who is acceptable to all parties to a dispute who facilitates discussion between the parties and aids them in making their own settlement decisions.
  • Motor Vehicle Registration (1)
    DF-7000.5500

    Motor Vehicle Registration

    DF-7000.5500

    Programs that issue license plates for automobiles and other motor vehicles as evidence that the vehicles have been registered with the proper authorities and are authorized to be parked or driven on public roads and highways.
  • Parole (1)
    FF-0500.6500

    Parole

    FF-0500.6500

    Programs that provide for the formal supervision of people who have been conditionally released from jail, prison or other confinement after serving part of the term for which they were sentenced based on the judgment of a parole board that there is a reasonable probability that they will live and remain at liberty without violating the law. People who are on parole remain in the legal custody of the state and may be reincarcerated if they violate the terms of their parole order.
  • 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.
  • Probation (1)
    FF-0500.6550

    Probation

    FF-0500.6550

    Programs that provide for the formal supervision of individuals who have been convicted of a crime, usually a lesser offense, and given a suspended sentence which releases them into the community under specific conditions which may include a reduced term in a correctional facility, fines, restitution to the victim, community work, counseling, "good conduct" and other stipulations.
  • Protective Services (2)
    PH-6500

    Protective Services

    PH-6500

    Programs that provide investigation and intervention services to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals who are vulnerable to abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.
  • Public Defender (1)
    FJ-6700.6500

    Public Defender

    FJ-6700.6500

    An elected or appointed public official (usually of a county), who is an attorney regularly assigned by the courts to defend people accused of crimes who cannot afford a private attorney. Counties may also have alternate public defenders, attorneys who represent persons charged with a crime who cannot afford to hire a private attorney in situations where the public defender has a conflict of interest. In each Federal Judicial District there is also a federal public defender, an attorney who is appointed by the court to represent individuals charged with federal offenses who cannot afford to retain their own attorney. Some states have a state public defender to supervise the provision of attorneys to convicted indigent individuals for appeals.
  • State Trial Courts (1)
    FC-8200

    State Trial Courts

    FC-8200

    State trial courts located in local judicial districts that have jurisdiction in all cases in equity, cases involving title to or possession of real property, civil cases, felony and misdemeanor cases, probate and divorce matters, conciliation and domestic relations cases, adoptions, psychiatric cases, juvenile cases and traffic cases as well as appeals from Justice Courts. Appeals from the state trial court level are heard in most states by the State Courts of Appeal or the State Supreme Court at their discretion. In some states, a distinction is made between municipal courts which hear civil cases involving monetary claims lower than an established amount and criminal cases involving infractions punishable by a fine but not imprisonment, misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings for felony cases; and superior courts which hear civil cases involving more substantial monetary claims, felony cases and other types of cases including adoption and family law matters, mental health cases, probate cases, and juvenile cases. In some states municipal courts are established by individual cities and have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations and exclusive jurisdiction over infractions of local ordinances.
  • System Advocacy (1)
    FP-0500.8000

    System Advocacy

    FP-0500.8000

    Programs that seek changes in community conditions, structures or institutions when modifications in the service delivery system as a whole are required to ensure the adequate availability of essential community services, to contribute to human growth and development and to prevent unwitting support of conditions which are injurious to individuals and families who are residents. The objective of system advocacy is to make changes that are required to benefit the community as a whole rather than focusing on the needs of a particular individual, family or group of residents.
  • Tax Preparation Assistance (1)
    DT-8800

    Tax Preparation Assistance

    DT-8800

    Programs that help eligible individuals (including older adults, people with disabilities and people with low incomes) prepare their tax returns or complete paperwork to apply for tax relief in the form of tax credit, rebate, exemption or postponement programs. Included are programs staffed by volunteers or others who provide this service without charge and professional tax preparation services. Most tax preparation assistance sites allow the people they assist to file their tax return information electronically.
  • Veterans Courts (1)
    FC-8200.8100-920

    Veterans Courts

    FC-8200.8100-920

    Special state courts that handle cases involving veterans charged with crimes, generally nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors in which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, traumatic brain injuries and mental illness are underlying factors. The objective of the courts is to get veterans into treatment where the root causes of their behavior can be addressed as an alternative to time in jail. Compliance with court requirements is monitored through regularly scheduled court hearings and charges against participants are dropped following completion of treatment if they have remained alcohol and drug free and have committed no new offenses.
  • Welfare Fraud Reporting (1)
    FN-1700.9500

    Welfare Fraud Reporting

    FN-1700.9500

    Programs that provide a hotline, website or other mechanisms that the public can use to anonymously report suspected cases of fraud involving TANF, Food Stamps, General Relief or other public assistance programs.