What You Need to Know About Legal Aid
For the residents of Canton, Ohio, the meaning of legal aid may not be immediately clear. In essence, legal aid is a term used to refer to a variety of services that are offered at various levels throughout government and private legal institutions to help those who might have difficulty affording a lawyer to provide legal advice or representation in court. While it has a specific definition, this term encapsulates a variety of organizations, including some that are funded by the Legal Services Corporation, or LSC.
These legal aid organizations strive to fulfill the golden rule of access to justice: that everyone should be treated equally in the eyes of the law, regardless of their income or social standing. The U.S. Constitution states that justice is meant to be available to everyone , and legal aid strives to balance the scales of justice, providing free legal advice, representation and aid to those with little to no financial means to pursue legal matters on their own.
Access to justice is especially important for low-income citizens and families, as many of them may find themselves in difficult legal situations that make it hard to pay the bills or even put food on the table. Legal aid plays a beneficial role in our society in ensuring that access to justice exists for all, with non-profits like The Legal Aid Society of Canton providing essential services that every citizen should have the right to.
Understanding legal aid and its benefits to you is crucial when exploring your options for legal counsel. For those interested in access to justice in Canton, free legal aid consultations could be just a call away.
Who is Eligible for Legal Aid in Canton?
Accessing legal aid services in Canton, Ohio is generally subject to a set of eligibility criteria designed to ensure that these services are fairly allocated to those who are the most in need of them. Determining eligibility for legal aid services is a multi-step process and may include both program application and testing for income levels.
Applicants must first be "screened" for eligibility over the phone. Some legal aid providers in Canton will take appointments, while others have walk-in clinics held on specific days of the week. Once an appointment has been made or a walk-in panel attended, applicants must fill out a form containing the following information: Income levels are based on the geographical home address of the applicant. In Canton, Ohio, residents may not exceed the following annual income levels (based on 125% of the U.S. Poverty Standards): Independent individuals with no dependents may not earn more than $13,050 per year, whereas independent individuals with one dependent may not earn more than $17,650 each year. For a household consisting of a husband and wife with no dependents, the annual limit is $17,650.
Income can be derived from a variety of sources and does not simply include earnings from a job. Examples of income include Social Security Disability Income, Supplemental Security Income, unemployment insurance benefits, child support, and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families benefits.
Upon passing a basic screening, applicants are usually scheduled for an intake interview with a legal aid caseworker. At that point, applicants must provide additional information about their current legal issue and financial situation. It should be noted that these interviews can vary in duration and intensity; some are no more than cursory interviews over the phone while others involve in-depth questions asked during relatively short (and thereby more convenient) in-office appointments.
Key Legal Aid Services in Canton
The state of Ohio provides a variety of legal aid services to residents of Stark County and the city of Canton. These services can help those struggling financially or with a criminal record to handle legal matters both in and out of court.
Support for Senior Citizens
Ohio has a wide assortment of programs for seniors, including legal aid services for those over the age of 60, Mediation for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Senior Community Services and Ombudsman services. Baywood West Senior Center and the Home Care Assistance Stark County bring some of these legal programs to those in and around Canton, Ohio.
Family Law Help
Ohio offers much help for those in Canton who are experiencing family law issues. Support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is offered through Victim Assistance Collaborative in Stark County. Clients of Community Services Stark Stark Legal Aid can receive options counseling, which helps individuals absorb legal information relating to child support, divorce, legal separation and property division after divorce. Those who have no legal representation can receive assistance in domestic abuse courts, protective order courts and juvenile courts. Other services available through Community Services Stark Stark include Domestic Relations, Mediation and Divorce Education.
Housing Services
Ohio Legal Aid offers housing assistance to residents of Canton, including services for foreclosure help to protect citizens from losing their homes as well as address issues in connection with landlord-tenant disputes.
Consumer Rights
Ohio Legal Aid offers a variety of specialized consumer protection services to help those struggling financially or physically through debt management, bankruptcy help, student loan help, credit counsel or identity theft avoidance.
Veterans Programs
Legal Aid of Western Ohio offers a variety of assistance programs to veterans. Services include a monthly clinic in Stark County to attain vital documents, including a DD214 and a healthcare card for VA Care. The organization also helps clients apply for VA benefits, file appeals for denied benefits and screen for income tax benefits.
Criminal Record Services
Ohio Legal Aid advocates for those who need help with a variety of criminal justice issues by providing various community resources in place to help citizens throughout Stark County and more.
Applying for Legal Aid in Canton
The process of applying for legal aid is relatively straightforward, but it does require that you meet certain eligibility requirements. As mentioned above, each legal aid organization has its own set of criteria, so there may be some slight differences in the following instructions depending on where you live. Generally, the process for applying for legal aid in Canton, OH is as follows:
If you are unable to determine whether you qualify for legal aid in Canton, the best course of action is to visit the organization’s website and enter your information into the online form. This form will automatically determine your eligibility and connect you with a legal aid attorney.
Most legal aid organizations have a common application form that can be filled out online, or printed and submitted via your legal aid office’s address. If you would like to apply online, use the links below to visit the respective legal aid organizations’ application pages. Otherwise, visit your local legal aid office in person to obtain a copy of the form and staff assistance with filling it out.
In conclusion, while obtaining legal aid in Canton, Ohio typically takes between two and four weeks, you can speed up the process by determining your eligibility ahead of time and immediately filling out and submitting the necessary application information.
Advantages of Utilizing Legal Aid Services
Legal aid services in Canton are offered through the Stark County Legal Aid Clinic, the Akron Bar Association, Community Legal Aid Services, and the University of Akron School of Law Free Legal Aid Clinic, which serves eligible individuals through the Stark County Legal Aid Clinic. Each of these services provides a unique network of professional counsel to help citizens navigate the complex legal system. The costs associated with legal matters can put an enormous strain on anyone—not just the low-income individuals who these free and low-cost programs target. For this reason, making use of legal aid services in Stark County can save you money on your needed legal matters.
One of the major benefits of working with legal aid services is their ability to proactively resolve legal issues, provide peace of mind, and prevent problems from recurring or spiraling out of control . Having an experienced and professional attorney to consult with during legal endeavors will ensure that no downfalls or pitfalls emerge from the process. Furthermore, legal aid services give clients the ability to attain counsel with little to no cost, which many people may not be able to afford otherwise.
Preventing future issues is a primary function of legal counsel, and an experienced attorney will understand the intricacies of your legal situation and implement preventative measures to assure issues do not occur again. You may feel relief and confidence after visiting with a legal aid attorney, as they will help you to further understand the situation and ensure that your legal matter is in order.
Even if you don’t live in Canton, contact our group of Stark County Legal Aid Clinic attorneys for free or pro bono legal advice.
The Challenges of Legal Aid in Canton
The landscape for legal aid in Canton, like other cities in Ohio and across the nation, is constrained by significant challenges. Dominant among them are the dual issues of demand and funding. In a recent study of the unmet civil legal needs for low-income residents in Stark County, it was revealed that only 12.8% of those with legal needs had been able to get help in the past year.
Compounding the issue of unmet need is the lack of funding. The legal services sector has been dismayingly underfunded for decades. This is evidenced by a 2017 report that estimated that the unmet need for civil legal assistance among low-income people in Ohio was $6.1 billion annually, even though legal services funding then totaled just $21 million. With the increase in poverty (up 2% to 1,100 more people in Stark County per year) and accompanying need for legal aid, the federally funded Legal Services Corporation (LSC) currently only provides legal aid with less than 17% of the funding it needs to operate. The imbalance between demand and available resources to meet it creates a backlog of unmet needs.
Several other demographic trends also magnify the need for legal aid in Canton, as well as Stark County and Ohio. Like many parts of the U.S., the population in Stark County has become increasingly diverse over the last few years. The growth in need has not been offset by a proportionate increase in the number of language-competent legal aid attorneys.
A growing number of elderly residents in Stark County also have increasing legal needs. According to a 2016 report, 17.8% of Stark’s population was over 60, but 26.5% of the county’s poverty population was 60 or older. Many of these citizens face expensive medical bills and nursing home placements, and thus have increased need for legal aid in Canton.
Local changes in policies and public programs may also contribute to growing demand for legal aid. A notable example is the expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act. Although this provides health insurance coverage to many more residents, the law does not provide coverage for treatment of mental health issues or substance abuse disorders. Given that roughly half of Stark County children are living below the poverty line, and the region struggles with opiate addiction, the demand for legal aid remains high.
Why is this movement toward limited access to legal aid important? With the growing number of elderly residents, low-income population, and people entering poverty, courts will be over-burdened by slow-moving cases. Legal aid will be available to only a few clients who desperately need it, but many people will not be able to represent themselves in court. Expanding access to law firms and legal aid will ensure that no one is denied equal justice under the law.
Legal Aid Success Stories
Jane and her two children were facing possible eviction from their apartment. She had been laid off from her job and had fallen behind on her rent payments. The eviction threatened to leave her and her children without a place to go. Legal Aid helped negotiate with the landlord and the case was settled on very favorable terms.
David was a single father struggling to keep up with his work . His ex-wife falsified documents to convince the court to increase her alimony payments, requiring him to pay what he could not afford. Legal Aid helped him get a modification to the agreement.
The Smith family was at risk of losing their home over a dispute with a contractor. The contractor had not only failed to do the repairs, but also had damaged the Smith’s home in the process, leaving them facing structural problems. Legal Aid attorney helped them get their money back and a new contractor to fix the damage.