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Legal Assistance - Cases We Handle
Intake Unit and
Volunteer Lawyers Program
The Intake and Volunteer Lawyers Program assist low income
individuals with legal problems by providing
advice, brief service, information and
referral services to pro bono attorneys.
The Intake Unit and Volunteer Lawyers Program:
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takes applications for legal assistance
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provides legal advice and information to
low income individuals
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provides brief legal services to
low-income individuals such as
preparation of deeds, wills, powers of
attorney, living wills, and health care
powers of attorney
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helps obtain pro bono legal assistance
for low income individuals
Consumer Law Unit
Economic instability leads to homelessness and further
impoverishment. The goal of the Consumer
Law Unit is to promote the economic
stability of low-income consumers.
The cases handled include those focused on:
Legal Aid’s Consumer Law Unit works with community
organizations to educate our clients about
these issues and to effect systemic changes
to consumer law issues. The Consumer Unit
edits and authors Ohio Consumer Law,
published by West.
Housing Law Unit
Because affordable housing is critical to the stability of
our community, The Legal Aid Society of
Cleveland makes work in this area a
priority. Our Housing Unit works to:
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Preserve and increase the supply of
decent, affordable housing for
low-income people.
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Secure lawful and reasonable policies
and practices in the administration of
assisted housing programs.
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Help low-income persons secure and
retain decent housing.
Cases the Housing Unit handles include:
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Evictions
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Terminations and Denials of subsidized
housing
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Unhealthy conditions of rental housing
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Terminations of utility service by a
landlord
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Lock-outs or other unlawful eviction
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Housing discrimination
The Housing Unit works with other organizations to education
our clients about these issues and to impact
on systemic issues. Legal Aid publishes
Ohio Landlord Tenant Law.
Family Law Unit
The Family Law Unit helps ensure that families are safe and
stable. The demand for family law
representation is overwhelming. In
response, Legal Aid prioritizes cases where
there is domestic violence and where
children are at risk.
Cases the Family Law Unit handles include:
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Protection orders for victims of
domestic violence
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Custody and divorce proceedings for
victims of domestic violence
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Custody and divorce proceedings where
children are at risk
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Child support cases for disabled people
The Family Law Unit also provides assistance
to people to help them proceed on their own
(pro se) to obtain a divorce where there are
no children and no assets.
The Family Law Unit works with courts and
bar associations to develop processes to
assist pro se litigants, helps increase pro
bono attorneys’ involvement in area of
family law and provides community legal
education and advice on family law issues.
The Family Law Unit works with other
organizations to affect systemic change for
victims of domestic violence, children at
risk, and low income people in domestic
relations and juvenile courts.
Health-Education-Work-Income-Immigration
The HEWII Unit handles a variety of types of
cases that impact Health, Education, Work,
Income and Immigration. They include:
Health:
Poverty causes deterioration in health.
Therefore, access to good health care
coverage is important. Legal Aid helps
clients with cases involving:
Education:
Access to an appropriate education can mean
the difference between a life of poverty and
opportunity. Education cases include:
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Special education services and
programming
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Expulsion, suspension and other
disciplinary actions
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Access to education for those in the
juvenile justice system
Work:
Most low income people work, often at more
than one job. Many do not receive the full,
lawful benefit of that hard work. Legal Aid
represents clients in work related cases
including:
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Tax controversies
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Unpaid wages, overtime and work-related
issues
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Unemployment
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Legal issues that interfere with the
ability to work
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Access to job training programs
Income:
Some low income people are unable to work
due to disability or other circumstances.
For them, government programs are an
important safety net. Legal Aid represents
clients in cases such as:
Immigration:
New immigrants face challenges obtaining or
retaining status to remain in this country.
Legal Aid’s immigration work focuses on:
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Immigrant domestic violence survivors
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Victims of crime, including stalking
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Victims of human trafficking
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Immigrants in detention, pending
deportation
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