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Legal

    Results: 24

  • Adoption Services (3)
    PH-0300

    Adoption Services

    PH-0300

    Programs that participate in arranging permanent homes under new legal parentage for individuals whose birth parents are unable or unwilling to provide for their care. Included are programs that provide counseling and assistance for people who decide to relinquish their children for adoption or arrange for an independent adoption; which recruit, select, counsel and match suitable adoptive parents with children who have been relinquished; which assist in the adoption of stepchildren, adults or foreign-born children; which provide foster care for children who have been relinquished for adoption but not yet placed; and/or which assist people who are adopted to locate their birth parents and birth parents to locate the children they relinquished.
  • Advocacy (15)
    FP-0500

    Advocacy

    FP-0500

    Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals and/or groups to ensure that they receive the benefits and services for which they are eligible and that organizations within the established service delivery system meet the collective needs of the community; that attempt to marshal public support for a particular issue or cause; or that seek to influence legislation, local ordinances or administrative rulings in order to benefit specific interest groups or achieve specific social, political or environmental goals.
  • Benefits Assistance (2)
    FT-1000

    Benefits Assistance

    FT-1000

    Programs that provide assistance for people who are having difficulty understanding and/or obtaining grants, payments, services or other benefits for which they are eligible. The programs may help people 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 benefits administration staff; and/or represent them in administrative processes or judicial litigation. Included are benefits counseling organizations that offer a range of advocacy services and legal aid programs that offer more formalized legal assistance.
  • Conservatorship Assistance (8)
    FT-6900.1500

    Conservatorship Assistance

    FT-6900.1500

    Programs that provide assistance for people who are in favor of or want to oppose the appointment of a conservator to protect adults from physical danger and improper treatment and/or to protect their estate from exploitation or waste when they are incapable of managing their own affairs or are competent but infirm. Conservatorships differ widely among jurisdictions. In some states, conservatorships are voluntary arrangements in which a physically infirm but competent individual petitions the court to appoint the conservator of choice to manage whatever powers and property the conservatee chooses to include in the arrangement. In these jurisdictions, guardianships apply to adults who are found to be incompetent. In other states, conservatorships apply only to an individual's property while guardianships address responsibility for the person. States having no conservatorship arrangements generally have guardianship provisions which address the needs of adults who have been found by the courts to be incapable of managing their own affairs.
  • Elder Law (1)
    FT-2450

    Elder Law

    FT-2450

    Programs that provide information and guidance for individuals who need assistance in the area of law which relates to the rights and needs of older adults, especially in the areas of age discrimination, consumer fraud, estate planning and management, living trusts, trust administration, probate, property law, retirement planning, pension benefits, Social Security benefits, Medicaid and Medicare, disability planning, long-term care alternatives, health care decisions, elder abuse, guardianships and conservatorships.
  • Estate Planning Assistance (6)
    FT-2700

    Estate Planning Assistance

    FT-2700

    Programs that offer a review of options and assistance to people who want to provide for the administration and/or protection of their assets during their lifetime, develop a plan for managing their finances in the event of a disabling illness, prepare binding instructions for the health care they wish to receive or avoid should they become terminally ill, make arrangements for the disposition of their assets with a minimum amount of taxation upon their death and provide for the administration of their estate should their spouse or other beneficiaries be incapable of managing their affairs. Estate planning provides an opportunity for individuals to make their wishes known and to name the person(s) who will be responsible for carrying out those directives. Tools available during the estate planning process include a Last Will and Testament, durable power of attorney for health care, durable financial power of attorney and a directive to physicians such as a living will, natural death directive or other state-recognized document. A revocable living trust may also be appropriate in some circumstances.
  • Family Law (1)
    FT-3000

    Family Law

    FT-3000

    Programs that provide assistance for people who are involved in disputes or legal actions which affect their domestic relationships.
  • Family Violence Prevention (6)
    FN-1500.1900

    Family Violence Prevention

    FN-1500.1900

    Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of child abuse, elder abuse and spouse abuse in family settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families and/or the community at large.
  • 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.
  • Juvenile Delinquency Prevention (2)
    FN-1500.3600

    Juvenile Delinquency Prevention

    FN-1500.3600

    Programs that offer a variety of activities for youth who are at risk for behavior which is likely to involve them in the juvenile justice system with the objective of assisting them to improve self-esteem, to become aware of alternative ways of dealing with feelings and leisure time, and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Included may be counseling, rap and discussion groups, tutoring, companionship programs, alternative peer group experiences and supervised recreational activities.
  • Legal Counseling (12)
    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 Education/Information (1)
    FR

    Legal Education/Information

    FR

    Programs whose primary purpose is to inform the public of the rights and responsibilities of individuals under the law, the need for crime prevention, protection and swift and effective administration of justice, the availability of resources to meet these needs and the issues and problems that relate to the provision of services in the criminal justice and legal area.
  • Legal Representation (1)
    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.
  • Legal Services (9)
    FT

    Legal Services

    FT

    Programs that provide assistance in the form of advocacy, arbitration, class action litigation, legal counseling, legal representation, mediation, paralegal counseling, self-representation assistance and/or court watching which focus on a particular area of law.
  • Legislative Advocacy (4)
    FP-0500.4500

    Legislative Advocacy

    FP-0500.4500

    Programs that attempt to influence the introduction or review of pending bills, ordinances or administrative rulings with the objective of having an impact on the passage or defeat of such legislation or its content.
  • Licensing/Certification/Accreditation (1)
    DF-4500

    Licensing/Certification/Accreditation

    DF-4500

    Programs that authorize the practice of a profession or the operation of a business or community facility after determining that established standards have been met. Activities usually include establishment of standards; review of applications; preparation and administration of examinations; issuance or denial of licenses, certificates or accreditation papers; enforcement of compliance with standards through inspection and monitoring; and revocation of licenses or disciplinary action in cases of noncompliance.
  • 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.
  • Medical Malpractice Assistance (1)
    FT-5100.5000

    Medical Malpractice Assistance

    FT-5100.5000

    Programs that provide assistance for people who need to settle a dispute or initiate or respond to litigation regarding a situation in which a physician, nurse, dentist, optometrist, chiropractor or other member of the health care profession is accused of an unreasonable lack of skill, gross negligence or professional misconduct in handling a particular case which resulted in loss, damage or injury to the patient.
  • Patient Rights Assistance (3)
    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 Assistance (1)
    FT-6900

    Probate Assistance

    FT-6900

    Programs that provide assistance for people who are involved in proceedings that deal with the establishment of decedents' wills, the settlement of decedents' estates or the appointment of a guardian or conservator for adults or children who are unable to manage their own affairs.
  • Special Education Advocacy (15)
    FT-8000.8000

    Special Education Advocacy

    FT-8000.8000

    Programs that work to ensure that children and youth with disabilities receive a free, appropriate, public education often by providing assistance for parents who need support in seeking and obtaining needed early intervention, educational, medical or therapeutic services for their children.
  • Special Needs Trust Preparation Assistance (2)
    FT-2700.8600-800

    Special Needs Trust Preparation Assistance

    FT-2700.8600-800

    Programs that provide assistance for people who want to establish a trust for a chronically and severely disabled beneficiary which supplements government benefits such as SSI and Medicaid rather than supplanting them and which provides an income for the person with a disability within allowable limits. Special needs trusts are generally established using the assets of a third party but may, under certain specified conditions, be established with the disabled person's own funds, and are managed by a trustee on behalf of the individual with a disability. Trusts established with the disabled person's funds may have "pay back" requirements which enable the state to collect funds at the end of the trust as reimbursement for medical care expenditures. Special needs trusts may be revocable or irrevocable, and may be established and utilized on behalf of the person with a disability while the parents or others funding the trust are still living (an intervivos or living special needs trust) or following the death of the parents (a testamentary special needs trust).
  • Trust Administration (1)
    FT-2700.8500

    Trust Administration

    FT-2700.8500

    Programs that are responsible for the management and/or distribution of property that is held in trust.
  • Will Preparation Assistance (1)
    FT-2700.9500

    Will Preparation Assistance

    FT-2700.9500

    Programs that provide assistance on an individual or group basis for people who want to draft a Last Will and Testament which leaves instructions for the disposition of their property following their death and need assistance in ensuring that the document is properly written. Also included are programs that provide copies of the Last Will and Testament form that is valid in their jurisdiction.