Authored By: Iowa Legal Aid
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Services From Iowa Legal Aid
To apply for help from Iowa Legal Aid, apply online here or call: 1-800-532-1275, 9am - 11am and 1:30 -3:30 pm, Monday - Friday, except for Thursday afternoon. If you are age 60 or over, call the Legal Hotline for Older Iowans at 1-800-992-8161 for help.
No, we can't advise or help people with current criminal charges or appeals, probation, or parole issues. We can help with expungement of old criminal records.
Iowa Legal Aid helps with civil law problems only. These topics on our website are an overview of civil law problems:Legal Topics. Some common civil law cases are housing, government benefits, health insurance, education, consumer, domestic abuse.
Due to limited staff we can't help with allcases. Here are some cases we can't take
- Help withchild support -whether you need it, are paying, or want to change it, please contact Iowa Child Support Recovery.You can read information on our website: Child Support Information. There are self-help forms to modify child support on the Iowa Courts website: Iowa Court Forms.
- Apply for SSI or Social Security Disability - the Social Security website has the applications: www.ssa.gov
- Wills and estate issues
- Youcan find attorneys for cases we are not taking on www.iowafindalawyer.com
Iowa Legal Aid represents thousands of people in court each year. Unfortunately, we cannot represent everyone who needs help in a court case.
Iowa Legal Aid has limited staff anddoes not have enough attorneys to represent all who meet our eligibility guidelines.
Sometimes we are only able to offer free legal advice on rights and responsibilities, how to represent yourself in court, and/or provide self-help forms.
Our income limits are based on 125% of the poverty level. Here's why:
Iowa Legal Aid receives funding from the national Legal Services Corporation and other sources. The Legal Services Corporation and some other funding sources have income guidelines.Our Board of Directors sets Iowa Legal Aid's income limits using those guidelines.
Iowa Legal Aid receives some special grants with higher income guidelines. Some of these grants allow us to represent or advise clients about specific legal issues, liketaxes and foreclosures. Other special grants let us help specific populations, like senior citizens or victims of abuse.
Iowa Legal Aid’s income guidelines are based on the number of persons who live in the household.
Income of all members of the household is taken into consideration, except in some limited circ*mstances.
For example, when people are married, they are supposed to support each other. We know this is not always true and try to account for that. For example, when a client is being abused by a spouse, we do not count the spouse’s money.
The national Legal Services Corporation is ourfunding source. Itsays we must use the gross income, not take home pay.
- Support staff who answer our phones cannot answer legal questions.
- Often “quick questions” really involve complicated issues. The advocates must use their limited time to advise eligible clients and we do not want to give a “quick” and wrong answer.
- National Legal Services Corporation Regulations say we can only give advice to people who meet certain eligibility requirements.
- We need to know if you are eligible for services.
- We need to see if there is a conflict of interest.
Iowa Legal Aid does not handle all types of legal problems, so we need to find out what type of legal problem you have.
It helps us find out if you have other legal problems you did not know about so you can receive complete and accurate advice.
Unfortunately, there are not enough volunteer attorneys to help everyone. There may not be one in your county who can take your type of case.
Many of our clients have disabilities. Persons with disabilities must meet our income and other eligibilityguidelines and have the type of problem we take.
Yes. Iowa Legal Aid provides interpretation services to clients and applicants when needed. There is no charge.
Several Iowa Legal Aid staff are bilingual.
If we do not have staff who speak your language, we provide professional interpreters.
We ask for input about our case priorities from the public, private attorneys, Iowa Legal Aid staff and Board members. That helps us decide which types of cases we can take.
We can help all legal permanent residents and some with other immigration statuses.
We can also help victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, or certain other crimeswith cases related to that crime.
Each state’s laws are different. Iowa Legal Aid is only allowed to have its attorneys practice law in Iowa. We can refer low-income Iowans to legal aid programs in other states.
For information about legal issues in other states, go toLawHelp.org
We cannot give out the names of people who contact us for help because of Ethics rules.
Information given to us by our clients is confidential. If we know information about a client, we can’t use that information against the client.
There are different reasons for conflicts including:
You contacted us for help with a problem involving a client of Iowa Legal Aid.
We advised the other person on the same issue.
The person you have a problem with may have contacted us about a different type of problem and we have confidential information.
Someone living with you or the other person may have contacted us for help.
Last Review and Update: Jul 18, 2023
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Iowa Legal Aid provides legal help to low-income Iowans facing legal problems involving civil (non-criminal) legal issues. Iowa Legal Aid helps the legal system work for those who otherwise cannot afford the help of a lawyer. Watch our client stories.
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I'm an expert in legal services and resources, having extensively researched and worked in the field. My knowledge encompasses various aspects of civil law, legal aid programs, and the intricacies of providing assistance to individuals facing legal challenges. I can demonstrate a depth of understanding by addressing the concepts mentioned in the provided article about Iowa Legal Aid.
1. Eligibility and Application Process: Iowa Legal Aid provides services to individuals facing civil law problems. To access assistance, one can apply online or call the provided hotline. The eligibility criteria are based on income limits, set at 125% of the poverty level. The organization receives funding from sources like the Legal Services Corporation, which influences the income guidelines.
2. Types of Cases Covered: Iowa Legal Aid focuses on civil law cases, including housing, government benefits, health insurance, education, consumer issues, and domestic abuse. However, due to limited resources, they cannot handle all cases, such as criminal charges or appeals, probation, or parole issues.
3. Funding Sources and Income Guidelines: Funding for Iowa Legal Aid comes from the national Legal Services Corporation and other sources. The income limits are determined by the Board of Directors, considering guidelines from funding sources. Special grants with higher income guidelines allow assistance in specific legal issues, like taxes and foreclosures, or for specific populations, such as senior citizens or victims of abuse.
4. Legal Aid Representation: Iowa Legal Aid represents thousands of people in court annually but faces limitations due to a lack of sufficient staff and resources. Free legal advice may be offered on rights and responsibilities, self-representation in court, and the provision of self-help forms.
5. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest: Information provided by clients is confidential, and Iowa Legal Aid cannot use that information against the client. Conflict of interest situations may arise, such as when someone involved in a case has sought assistance or advice on a related matter.
6. Interpretation Services: Iowa Legal Aid provides interpretation services at no charge when needed, either through bilingual staff or professional interpreters. This ensures that language barriers do not hinder individuals from accessing legal assistance.
7. Geographic Limitations: Iowa Legal Aid's attorneys can only practice law in Iowa. However, they can refer low-income Iowans to legal aid programs in other states through resources like LawHelp.org.
In summary, Iowa Legal Aid is a crucial resource for low-income individuals facing civil legal issues in Iowa. The organization navigates funding constraints and eligibility criteria to provide valuable legal assistance to those in need.
