Legal Services

Results: 18

• 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.
• Child Custody Orders (2)
  DF-7000.1450

  Child Custody Orders

  DF-7000.1450
  
  Programs that register, maintain and where appropriate, provide certified copies of the official document that identifies the adult or agency with the legal authority and duty to manage the affairs and care of a minor child and, where relevant, the visitation rights of the noncustodial parent. Copies of child custody decrees may be requested by courts in a state other than the child's "home state" in cases of interstate child custody proceedings or by other persons who are affected by or have a legitimate interest in the decree.
• 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.
• Civil State Trial Courts (1)
  FC-8200.1500

  Civil State Trial Courts

  FC-8200.1500
  
  State trial courts of general jurisdiction that handle civil cases which involve personal injury, property damage or liability, medical or dental malpractice, real estate actions, equity suits such as injunction proceedings, specific performance contract disputes, administration of trusts and foreclosure on mortgages; and, in jurisdictions where there are no specialized courts, adoptions, probate, family law and psychiatric cases. In some states, a distinction is made between municipal civil courts which hear cases involving monetary claims lower than an established amount and superior civil courts which hear all other civil cases. The type of cases handled by civil trial courts varies by state.
• Concealed Weapons Permits (2)
  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 (4)
  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.
• Court Records (1)
  DF-7000.1550

  Court Records

  DF-7000.1550
  
  Programs that maintain and, where appropriate, provide access to official documentation of trial proceedings, exhibits and orders, word-for-word testimony, verdicts and judgments in specific actions or suits.
• Criminal Record Expungement Assistance (1)
  FT-2800.1500

  Criminal Record Expungement Assistance

  FT-2800.1500
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to submit a petition requesting that the court order the official and formal sealing or erasure of records related to a particular criminal case maintained by police agencies at all levels, the prosecuting attorney's office, the office of the clerk of the court and/or agencies that are part of the criminal correctional system. Most jurisdictions have laws that permit, even mandate, the sealing or expungement of juvenile records as well as statutes that relate to adult records and the conditions under which they may be cleared.
• Criminal State Trial Courts (1)
  FC-8200.1550

  Criminal State Trial Courts

  FC-8200.1550
  
  State trial courts that handle infractions punishable by a fine; misdemeanor cases such as petty theft, prostitution, intoxication and vandalism punishable by a fine with a maximum level (usually $1000) and maximum amount of time in county jail (usually a year or less); and felony cases such as murder, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, robbery and rape that are punishable by a state prison term or, in states where capital punishment is legal, by death. In some states a distinction is made between municipal criminal courts which handle infractions, misdemeanors and preliminary hearings for felony cases; and superior criminal courts which try felony cases and misdemeanor cases for which other provisions have not been made. The type of cases handled by criminal trial courts varies by state.
• Divorce Records (2)
  DF-7000.1800

  Divorce Records

  DF-7000.1800
  
  Programs that maintain and, where appropriate, provide access to or copies of the official document that dissolves a marriage relationship between two people.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Name Change Assistance (2)
  FT-5900

  Name Change Assistance

  FT-5900
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who want to file a petition to legally change their name.
• 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.
• Probate Courts (2)
  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.
• Veteran Benefits Assistance (1)
  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.