What is Lake County Legal Aid

One of the most frequent types of questions regarding Lake County legal aid services is "exactly what is legal aid and how can legal aid help me?" Legal aid is "a structure" that has been put into place over many years to help people who cannot afford the high costs for private legal care. Indeed, it is the private attorney general who helps fill in the gaps that exist in most peoples’ budgets when it comes to legal representation. Legal aid is the civilian version of military aid and is backed by both direct legislative and executive forces. Funding for legal aid does not come through grants or donations but rather through a system that requires lawyers to take on free cases without interference from others. Legal aid is overseen by the Illinois Supreme Court and the ILAO performs audits as needed.
Legal aid should not be confused with pro bono work, which is where lawyers take on cases for free . Legal aid also should not be confused with public defenders, who are paid for their services with taxpayer dollars. Legal aid is a combined team effort. Legal aid serves clients in all income brackets because everyone should have access to the justice system. However, most of the legal aid clients are low income families. Legal aid also serves clients with very specific needs. Legal aid serves clients with the following issues: There are many different areas and levels of legal aid services. Legal aid is offered through various organizations in Lake County. There is some overlapping and, as such, it is common for a client to be referred elsewhere if there is not capacity at the time of the call. The 19th Circuit Courthouse Kiosks in Waukegan, Highland Park and Round Lake Beach have some legal aid information available. Phone app development is in the works and will be available soon.

Qualifying for Legal Aid in Lake County

Eligibility requirements for legal aid services in Lake County generally focus on financial need and sometimes incorporate factors like residency status and the nature of the legal issue. Though specific requirements vary depending on the organization providing help, there are a few commonalities among the various programs.
Most organizations providing legal aid in Lake County are geared toward assisting low-income individuals with their legal issues. For example, the Legal Aid Society of Chicago has household income eligibility guidelines that designate income no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $40,140 annually for a family of four. This organization also accepts cases that have merit under Illinois law, which gives clients a good chance of receiving legal aid.
Residency requirements can be strict for nonprofit legal aid. Illinois’ Prairie State Legal Services and the Legal Aid Society of Chicago require proof of legal residency in one of the counties in which they provide services. For example, to be eligible for legal aid, Chicago-area residents must reside in Cook, Lake, DuPage or Kane counties.
Pro bono services are legal assistance offered by attorneys or law firms for free or at a reduced rate. Attorneys who volunteer their time and services may establish their own requirements for clients in need. A good example of this is the Pro Bono Program of the Northern District of Illinois. This program works with attorneys throughout the Chicago metropolitan area who agree to represent low-income residents pro bono in non-criminal cases. Because this service relies upon the availability of local lawyers willing to take pro bono cases, the program does not always guarantee legal aid to all applicants.
Some organizations specify the types of legal issues for which legal aid services are provided. Lake County Legal Aid Clinics, for example, focuses exclusively on domestic relations legal matters, including divorce, family law, guardianship and domestic violence.
There are many ways to secure legal aid, with or without the help of a legal aid organization. Most Lake County residents are likely to meet at least some requirements for legal aid, depending on their circumstances.

Legal Aid Services Provided

Types of legal aid services in Lake County range from family law to housing issues and consumer rights. Family law legal aid services in Lake County, include representation for family law matters that are priced beyond the reach of lower income individuals. Types of family law matters include divorce representation, child custody and visitation representation, child support modifications and enforcement, spousal support modifications and enforcement, adoption representation, paternity establishment, termination of parental rights representation and domestic violence protection.
Housing legal aid services in Lake County include eviction representation; landlord-tenant disputes; foreclosure representation (with some programs); and pro-bono representation in housing court. Some housing legal aid services are limited to certain areas of Lake County or based on income or asset limitations.
Consumer rights legal aid services in Lake County include some predatory lending issues, Deceptive Trade Practices Act violations, debt collection matters and consumer bankruptcy.
Legal aid services for the elderly in Lake County include many of the family law and housing issues, but with a special focus on the needs of senior citizens. Services to those of low to moderate income and the elderly are just a small segment of the pro-bono representation of those in most need of advocacy through the court system.

How to Qualify for Legal Aid

The application process for obtaining legal aid in Lake County is designed to be straightforward and accessible for all who need it. The first step is to determine eligibility, which is typically based on income level and the type of legal issue at hand. Legal aid organizations in Lake County provide assistance to low-income individuals and families in a range of civil matters, including family law, housing, employment, and bankruptcy.
To apply for legal aid, individuals can start by visiting the website of the organization they believe may be able to help them. Most legal aid groups have a client-intake process either displayed on their website or that can be accessed over the phone during regular business hours.
The information typically requested during an application process includes the applicant’s name and contact information, their employment status, household income, household expenses, number of dependents and any other sources of income. When submitting an application over the phone, the intake professional will generally ask the same questions and guide applicants through the process. Once an application has been submitted, it may take several days for an organization to get back to the applicant regarding eligibility for legal aid and what services the organization can provide.
If an applicant does not qualify for legal aid for their legal matter, many legal aid organizations in Lake County maintain an extensive list of referral agencies to aid individuals in finding the right type of assistance for their case. There are also a number of free legal clinics in Lake County for residents who need immediate legal assistance or representation.
In preparing for an application, it can be helpful to gather the following documentation:
A helpful tip is to narrow down the type of legal assistance you will need in order to identify the appropriate organizations that can provide it. For example, if your issue relates to real estate, it will be more relevant to seek legal aid from a housing non-profit than from one that specializes in family law.

Lake County Legal Aid Resources

Lake County Legal Aid Foundation, Inc. is a private non-profit corporation that offers free legal assistance in civil matters to low income residents of Lake County. The organization provides this assistance through its private attorney pro bono referral program and by a staff of five, all experienced attorneys, whose sole focus is on providing legal aid to the poor in Lake County. The pro bono referral program was started in 1992 and is funded entirely by local sources. Volunteers who join this program are trained and supervised. Staff are provided with facilities and administrative support by, and are the employees of, Holy Cross Services. Staff attorneys have served in the area of low income legal services for 40 years. The Foundation has a 35-year legacy of successful representation of hundreds of individuals and families in cases involving child visitation, child and spousal support, mediation and representation, settings aside of juvenile and bail bonds, expungements, motion to set aside prior felony convictions, guardianships, powers of attorney, Name Changes, uncontested divorces, consumer law, domestic violence, legal research, limited legal advice, consultation, referrals, estate planning and probate.
The Volunteer Center for Lake County is the provider of pro bono legal services for the Sixth Circuit Court. The Center actively recruits and trains attorneys to provide free civil legal services , through the Pro Bono Services Program, to eligible individuals and families living with low incomes within the Sixth Circuit. Pro Bono Services recruits, trains and refers volunteers to local civic organizations such as the Family Law Committee of the Lake County Bar Association; the Matrimonial Law, Jefferson Circuit and Medical/Legal Committees of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association; and the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Committee of the Northwest Suburban Bar Foundation. Volunteer attorneys are also trained and referred to Cassy, Legal Aid from the Heartland Alliance, and Prairie State Legal Services. Volunteer lawyers may assist in cases involving mortgage foreclosure, consumer fraud, charitable solicitation, landlord-tenant issues, name and gender changes, wills, adoption and step-parens acquiring guardianship of children, consumer bankruptcy and a broad range of family law matters. Volunteer attorneys may also provide legal consultations at Pro Bono Legal Aid Clinics which offer free 15-minute consultations at different locations throughout the county, or they may assist with court-based calendars that address the particular needs of low-income clients seeking legal assistance at the courthouse.

Legal Aid Success Stories

Thousands of people in Lake County rely on the services of legal aid to exercise their rights. While laws exist to protect our rights, without affordable access to legal services they would be meaningless. We’re proud of the part we play in protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities and changing lives for the better.
If not for the work of legal aid, Pamela Matsuda says she wouldn’t have been able to stay in her home or keep her family together.
In 2013, Pamela and her husband, Scott, found out he had cancer. However, when Scott could no longer work, Pamela quickly fell behind on their rent and four months later found out she was going to be evicted from her apartment. She immediately called the Family Law Advice Clinic for help in filing an Access to Justice form with Lake County Circuit Court.
"At that point, I was terrified. I didn’t know how I was going to fight this because I wasn’t financially capable to hire an attorney."
Before her case was heard, Pamela’s free attorney from Prairie State Legal Services found a way to pay the $5,000+ in back rent and fees owed in full. That meant Pamela didn’t have to go to court and her family would stay together.
"Without the help of Prairie State Legal Services and the guidance I received from my attorney, I don’t know where I would be today. I wouldn’t be living in my home with my kids or have any idea how I could fight this and get my life back together."
Anne Haggerty had to navigate global bureaucracy when a family member died. She credits Prairie State Legal Services with making the process easier.
Anne, an Aurora resident, was contacted by the United Nations to help deal with the estate of a relative who had passed away abroad. She travelled south to a United Nations location and picked up her relative’s belongings.
However, when she got them back to Illinois, she faced huge issues dealing with rules and laws from all around the world — Solomon Islands, Fiji, India and Illinois. She was immediately overwhelmed and in need of help.
"I didn’t know where to turn. I called Prairie State Legal Services and they referred me to Attorney Nicole Garrison." Three days later, Attorney Garrison called to set a time to get together.
"Nicole was amazing. She knew just how to conduct herself with each of the parties, and she kept everyone’s feelings in mind. She is an incredibly nice person, very polite, and very understanding. She has a knack for calming everyone down."
With the help of Attorney Garrison, Anne was able to see her cousin’s belongings again. And thankfully, another person on the other side of the world worked with Prairie State Legal Services and Attorney Garrison. Together, they were able to arrange to give the property back to Anne.
"When I returned to Prairie State with my cousin’s things to get rid of them, Attorney Garrison took control of the room and talked to everyone one-on-one. Doing that was great for the situation. I had my own worries about family, and I even had a panic attack. But Nicole was fantastic, and so compassionate with her work in helping me handle that mess."
Anne says there is a saying she likes to share when someone does a positive thing. It goes like this. When I do good, I feel good, when I do bad, I feel bad.
Anne says she still feels bad about the situation but credits Attorney Garrison and the Prairie State Legal Services organization with helping her feel good about how it ended.

Legal Aid Issues in Lake County

Lake County legal aid providers face many of the same challenges that confront organizations across the country. Lake County residents frequently face poverty, homelessness, and a lack of access to financial and legal resources. Legal problems that stem from those issues can spiral into disability, domestic violence, and loss of livelihoods.
Funding continues to be the biggest challenge facing legal aid providers in Lake County, as it is for those elsewhere in the country. Lack of resources leads to a lack of staffing, which leads to longer wait times for appointments, less ability to handle full case loads, and an inability to accept new clients. All providers experience budgetary shortfalls, and fear what will happen if Illinois loses the $4 million in funding it currently receives from IOLTA grants.
Other challenges also persist. Legal aid staffers often face limited budgets for travel, materials, and equipment, as well as limited time to devote to innovative solutions. Legal aid clients frequently resist involvement with law enforcement, making it difficult for legal aid providers to offer protection to those clients or get their assistance with other issues. The clients of legal aid providers often face instability in their personal lives that limits availability for scheduled appointments. Many clients have little or no experience with the Internet, making it difficult to access online tools. Frequently, legal aid clients lack the transportation or resources to travel to appointments at their local provider.

Supporting Legal Aid in Lake County

More than 4,000 legal aid clients across Lake County seek help on a variety of legal issues every year and many have nowhere else to turn. From low-income families to immigrant victims of domestic violence and legal aid clients face so much more in life than most of us can imagine.
While legal aid organizations are doing their best to help those who are vulnerable to legal problems, they measurably need support from everyone to remain effective. Here are a few ways to leverage your capacities for helping legal aid organizations:
The Lake County Bar Association (LCBA) Foundation, in conjunction with Prairie State Legal Services, the College of Lake County, and The United Way of Lake County present the annual "Justice for All" Pro Bono Volunteer Opportunity Fair at the College of Lake County in October. The event gives potential volunteers the opportunity to meet local organizations in need of community volunteers in two ways: short-term pro bono opportunities for attorneys or understanding what other volunteer opportunities are available .
You can donate to legal aid organizations that directly support poor and low-income communities in Lake County. Such organizations include Prairie State Legal Services, First Free Legal Clinic, the Racial and Ethnic Disparities Coalition, and the Lake County Bar Foundation. Volunteering your unique skills and strengths to engage with those communities will make a huge difference and provide you the opportunity to meet new people along the way.
Advocacy work helps forge a new beginning. By raising concern about a pressing issue, citizens influence the decision-making process and help establish a foundation for change. Legal aid organizations offer great opportunities for advocacy work – including helping with events, writing newsletters on urgent legal issues, and soliciting for sponsors.
Some legal aid organizations, like Indiana Legal Services, actively send out newsletters with up-to-date news on free legal resources and how to access them. These newsletters benefit especially those who are not web savvy.