A nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to low-income Oregon residents. LASO also has Native American and agricultural labor programs. Please note that LASO only offers representation in civil matters. This section will help you understand the different types of cases that legal aid offices typically handle and the roles of paralegals and legal aid lawyers. Family law issues. These include divorce, adoption, custody, alimony, time for visiting or educating parents, domestic violence, guardianship, injunctions, defense in paternity claims, and amendment of decrees. Most legal aid organizations limit divorce representation to certain types of situations. Some offices do not accept divorce cases, except in cases of emergency. List of free or low-cost legal aid sources in Oregon.

Sometimes a legal aid office cannot accept a case because there are not enough legal aid lawyers available to provide assistance to all eligible individuals. However, in some communities, private sector lawyers volunteer their time to represent low-income clients free of charge and accept cases that the legal aid office cannot handle. Provides mobile services to people living below the 400% federal poverty line, hands-on training for new lawyers and law students, and community legal education. Do you have a legal problem that you would like to look for yourself? Modest Means Program – discounted legal assistance for low-income Oregans involved in family law, criminal defense, foreclosure, and landlord/tenant issues. To help as many eligible people as possible, most legal aid organizations also use paralegals to help with their case. Paralegals are not lawyers and cannot practice law, but they can represent clients at administrative hearings. For example, a paralegal may represent clients at hearings about social assistance, supplementary security income or unemployment benefits. Paralegals can interview clients and let them know about their benefits.

They also research and investigate cases and help negotiate with traders, landlords or government officials. Paralegals are supervised by lawyers and help provide legal services to clients. Military Assistance Committee – a program designed to match deployed soldiers and their dependents with lawyers who provide up to 2 hours of free legal assistance. If you need help with your legal problem and think you are eligible for legal aid, call your nearest office to find out if you qualify. Status: October 2011 These are the types of cases that can often be handled by legal aid agencies. However, the type of cases accepted by each legal aid unit may vary. The community, clients and legal aid staff worked together to identify the highest priority issues for low-income people in their area. In addition, legal aid cannot accept so-called „fee-generating“ cases. In a fee-generating case, a lawyer`s fees are paid out of the money awarded to the winning party. If you ask for legal help about your problem, you will be told if it is a paying case or not. Provides legal services to low- and middle-income family law clients.

The clinic uses a sliding scale to determine its fees. They serve clients in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties and have three offices. Tenants whose landlord has taken them to eviction court can call the Eviction Defense Project line (888-585-9638) or email the project (evictiondefense@oregonlawcenter.org) for legal help. Tenants must leave a message with the admissions department or by email with their name, date of birth and eviction file number. We condemn the brutal murder of George Floyd and all Black, Indigenous and Other People of Colour (BIPOC) by police and others who oppress them, whether in Minnesota, Oregon or anywhere else in our country. As legal aid organizations, our mission is to bring justice to Oregon`s low-income communities by providing a full range of civil justice services of the highest quality. We emphasize our clients` right to determine the solutions we pursue to the problems they face, and our clients have long told us that racial discrimination is a major barrier to escaping poverty. We are accountable to our clients to work to reduce systemic racism and white supremacy while fighting for economic justice on their behalf.

Lawyers and staff from across the state will continue to work together to bring equality, justice and integrity to our communities and legal system. Problem solver – provides 30 minutes of free legal information and advice to children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. Like private lawyers, legal aid lawyers and paralegals work to find the best possible solution to the case for their client. And just like communications between private sector lawyers and their clients, communications between legal aid clients and their lawyers or paralegals are confidential. Legal aid agencies are non-profit companies that provide free legal aid to low-income clients with non-criminal issues, including cases in some of the following areas: Provides free legal aid to low-income Oregon people. The Office of the Legal Counsel provides information, advice and representation in various civil cases. OLC also offers several programs, including support for clients who speak Indigenous languages from Mexico and Guatemala, and a program that matches low-income clients with volunteer lawyers. The OLC has the same national child support and public benefit hotlines as LASO, but also has a pro bono helpline. Legal aid offices do not deal with criminal matters. The court appoints a lawyer to handle criminal proceedings if the client cannot afford legal assistance. Counties not listed below are served by other legal aid organizations. To find other legal aid offices in Oregon, click here.