The Role and Purpose of Legal Aid in Western Ohio
Legal Aid of Western Ohio Inc. (LAWO), is a private, nonprofit public interest law firm serving 32 counties in western and northwest Ohio. Founded in 1969, Legal Aid of Western Ohio (formerly known as Legal Aid Society of the Dayton Bar Association and later as Legal Aid Society of Dayton and North Central Ohio) was established by a handful of private attorneys and social service professionals who were dedicated to providing equal access to justice for the region’s most vulnerable residents. Each decade brought new challenges and opportunities to provide legal assistance for the poor and rural communities – often lacking legal representation altogether .
Today, LAWO is comprised of nearly 70 staff members and 90 volunteers who work with our communities to increase opportunities for self-sufficiency, prevent homelessness and domestic violence, and enhance the quality of life of thousands of low-income individuals and families each year.
The purpose and mission of Legal Aid in Western Ohio is to provide family civil legal assistance for low-income individuals and families in the "gold-standard" Legal Aid tradition, through client-centered services and collaborating with other community partners. Today, 80% of our support comes from federal and state sources, including the Legal Services Corporation and, in Ohio, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation.
Common Services Provided by Legal Aid of Western Ohio
Legal Aid of Western Ohio provides a range of essential legal services to low-income individuals and families throughout the region. By offering advocacy and legal representation, the organization empowers vulnerable populations to address their legal concerns.
Family Law
The legal team at Legal Aid of Western Ohio helps families navigate complex issues such as divorce, custody, visitation, and spousal support. They aim to help preserve families when possible, and they serve as advocates for the welfare of children. Without this valuable service, individuals with limited financial resources might never have a chance to resolve their family legal matters.
Housing Issues
Housing issues are prevalent throughout the Western Ohio region. In many cases, landlords might attempt to evict nonpaying tenants or seize property without a proper legal process. Legal Aid of Western Ohio helps tenants understand their rights and to ensure that landlords comply with their obligations. Legal Aid of Western Ohio also assists with landlord/tenant conflicts, such as noise disturbances or shared property issues. And when necessary, the staff at Legal Aid of Western Ohio will represent housing clients in civil legal matters.
Consumer Rights
Many individuals and families struggling to make ends meet run afoul of predatory business practices. For example, overzealous debt collectors may violate Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requirements, while certain payday lending practices may violate state usury laws. When people contact Legal Aid of Western Ohio, they can receive help navigating consumer protection issues. They are also put in touch with financial literacy programs so that they can avoid these challenging situations in the future.
Who Is Eligible for Legal Aid Services?
To qualify for free legal help through Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc., applicants must meet certain income and asset criteria. In general, the household income is not to exceed 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, and assets may not exceed 2 months of income. Although these eligibility rules govern, exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis and there are special circumstances when we may accept an otherwise ineligible applicant for assistance. For example, Legal Aid often accepts applications for help in domestic violence or child abuse cases with no asset limits. The information you provide will be verified and every effort made to verify your situation. All applicants for legal services at Legal Aid must qualify based on their financial need. We ask for this information to determine if we can assist you in your legal problem. All information is kept private and confidential. As a legal aid, our goal is to provide legal representation or advice to low-income clients in non-criminal cases. You can apply not only by phone, but also online through our secure online application. This form is available in English and Spanish to everyone in need of legal assistance, regardless of your location. Please note that Legal Aid is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, and since we do not receive any federal funding to enforce immigration laws, we are unable to help with immigration law matters, even for individuals in need of legal aid services (except family law issues such as VAWA petitions). To find your nearest area of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office to assist with immigration law, please visit the USCIS website and follow instructions provided for your specific concern or search on your preferred search engine. You can also find a list of federally funded legal aid programs helping immigrant victims here and here.
Community Impact of Legal Aid
Legal Aid’s positive impact on the communities we serve is profound. We represent thousands of cases each year and focus on groups who are traditionally vulnerable, including children, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, and the homeless. In the last year, with help from more than 1,000 volunteers and pro bono attorneys, we served over 3,000 households, including nearly 1,000 children. In rural communities where access to a lawyer is already limited, pro bono attorneys help us expand our reach.
Our two community legal clinics grew 36% in the past year, providing a wider range of civil legal services in more locations, including consumer rights issues like bankruptcy, divorce and dissolution, LIFE planning documents like wills, and landlord/tenant cases. In just three months following the launch of our CLC in Sidney, 101 people were served, compared to 152 people in the 20 months since our CLC opened in Montgomery County.
In the last 5 years , 80% of clients seen came back the following year for follow-up services. This repeat clientele proves that clients value the services being offered. Interestingly, we have an almost equal number of returning, sometimes more complicated cases, in our Montgomery County CLC as we do first time clients. This demonstrates that there is a much greater need for these services than we are able to provide.
Through multiple collaboration initiatives, we have expanded services to veterans who qualify for our services and help them navigate the unique process of securing benefits.
We offer work through our medical-legal partnerships with several local hospitals. We assist unaccompanied refugee minors in our office through a monthly clinic in partnership with the International Institute of Greater Cincinnati, who is the agency in charge of these children. We provide representation to adults and children who have been victims of human trafficking.
How to Get Legal Aid Services
Applying to Legal Aid of Western Ohio is fairly straightforward. It is an office-centric organization with offices located in Lima, Wapakoneta, Findlay, Celina, Bellefontaine, and Washington Court House, in addition to the central office in Dayton. The first step is to call or visit your local office and explain your situation to the staff member who answers the phone. You will be asked some questions such as your name, phone number, address, and whether you are working or have any income in order to determine your eligibility for assistance. If you are already working with an attorney you should provide that person’s name, address, and phone number so the organization can pull your file. Once your qualification for services is determined, an appointment will be scheduled. What you will need to bring to the appointment is a valid driver’s license and/or two other forms of identification, such as a Social Security card or tax return, the original title for your car (if you own one), your most recent check stub, a copy of your lease agreement, and any other legal documents that apply to your case. If you cannot take off work to visit a staff member in person, you can also apply for legal aid services online through its website at www.lawolaw.org. The organization indicates that people applying for aid should be the primary person who holds the case (although family members and friends can assist.) A person must be a resident of Ohio and at least 18 years of age to apply.
The first appointment might take two hours or more, depending upon how many questions you have for the staff member and how many are asked. Any qualifying adult or minor child in your household can be represented by the legal aid attorney you are assigned. Time spent with the paralegal is not counted against your income limits. Most legal aid appointments are free, but there might be some fees for filing documents with the court, for medical reports or other costs.
Funding and Support of Legal Aid of Western Ohio
Legal Aid of Western Ohio is a nonprofit organization that provides critical legal services to low-income residents in western Ohio. Its sustainability and ability to serve thousands of local residents is contingent upon a variety of funding sources and partnerships. The organization receives federal and state grants, and fee-generating service funds are the largest part of its budget. The group focuses on maximizing its private donations while delivering high-quality legal assistance to those who need it most. A supporter of the organization, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation funds the statewide network of legal aid of which Legal Aid of Western Ohio is a part. These statewide programs include the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, Pro Bono Net, Ohio Poverty Law Center, and the Ohio State Legal Services and Public Interest Law Section — many of which provide critical training and advice to help the organization fulfill its mission . Large firms also partner with Legal Aid of Western Ohio to support its services and advocacy. Organizations such as the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, and the American Bar Association all support the organization as well. Legal Aid of Western Ohio received strong support from Law360: The Law Firm Disruption Fund of Mayer Brown LLP for a grant in the sum of $85,000 to assist domestic violence clients at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The Ohio State legal services office at Legal Aid of Western Ohio is committed to providing access to justice for all domestic violence survivors, particularly those seeking protection orders, and securing equal access to benefits and protections of the law is part of their core mission. This grant will allow Legal Aid of Western Ohio to hire a staff attorney who will work closely with the Family Law Clinic of the Cincinnati Bar Association and Montgomery County’s Juvenile Court to assist clients in obtaining court protection orders.