Ocean County Legal Aid: What Is It?
Legal aid is a term that describes a program meant to help individuals navigate the law. Typically, legal aid is assistance that is provided to low-income individuals or families who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer. There are legal aid programs all throughout the country, and as the name suggests, Ocean County Legal Aid is the program for residents of Ocean County New Jersey.
Ocean County Legal Aid was created to provide access to the legal system for residents of Ocean County. The goal of the program is to assure equal justice as per the New Jersey Constitution . It helps low-income people with civil (non-criminal) legal problems such as child custody issues, domestic violence, evictions, foreclosures, bankruptcy, and many other employment and housing issues.
These services are offered at no charge to members of the Ocean County community. If you earn an income below the federal poverty level, you might qualify for legal aid services.
The attorneys who practice through the Ocean County Legal Aid program include volunteer professionals, and they help approximately ten percent of county residents each year. For a person in need of legal assistance, the services offered through Ocean County Legal Aid can make all the difference in his or her case.
Who Is Eligible for Legal Aid in Ocean County?
To qualify for legal services in Ocean County, you must first meet certain criteria. You are required to establish that there is a legal problem that justifies the need for legal representation. The problem must be that legal representation is the only way to resolve that problem while protecting the law and your rights. The financial aspect of your situation is not the only factor considered when weighing whether you will receive legal aid assistance. Certainly, financial resources are the first thing reviewed, as your income level and/or the nature of your financial need will serve as the basis for whether you may be eligible. Generally, to qualify for legal assistance from Ocean County Legal Aid, a resident will need to earn less than 125% of the poverty level as determined by the federal government. This is also referred to as LSC financial guidelines. A financial exam does confirm income, household size and expenses are all taken into account to determine eligibility. The legal aspect also is reviewed, as it is only if representation is needed that a free legal aid attorney will be assigned. The local office will also review your residency. Finally, the office will assess what resources are available to you that may make it possible for you to pay a legal fee. If there are no clear alternatives and you meet the other criteria, legal aid will be able to offer assistance.
Legal Aid Services Offered in Ocean County
A variety of services are provided by Ocean County Legal Aid Services. Areas of assistance include housing, family law, consumer rights, and income maintenance issues.
Housing assistance is a high priority for Legal Services of New Jersey and Ocean County. With an overwhelming number of renters unable to afford legal representation for civil eviction matters, Legal Services provides assistance to over one-third of all eviction matters in Ocean County. Assistance is provided for cases involving landlord-tenant actions, the Lockout Law, unlawful eviction, harassment, domestic violence and illegal eviction, rental agreements or leases, summary dispossess actions, and public or private housing delays or denials. Services also include counseling, community education, comprehensive representation at court proceedings, and negotiation. It should be noted that there are certain limitations if the eviction proceeding involves an owner-occupied dwelling which is not a public or private building.
The Ocean County Legal Aid Society provides family law assistance for family crisis intervention, custody and visitation, guardianship, divorce, adoption, domestic violence, domestic partnerships and civil unions, domestic violence, post-judgment enforcement, equitable distribution, child support, parentage and paternity, and relocation. Family law services include preliminary advice and counseling, determination of legal right and responsibilities, and comprehensive representation at legal proceedings.
Legal education, assistance and representation is offered for all consumer matters, including identity theft, unfair resorting practices, fraudulent transactions, and bankruptcy. The Legal Services training department also provides services that cover consumer rights.
Income maintenance assistance is available for public assistance benefits, SSI (Supplemental Security Income). SSD (Social Security Disability) and Medicaid, as well as Medicare cases, MA-61 and MA-22 decisions, food stamps, and work first NJ transportation problems.
How to Seek Legal Help in Ocean County
Applying for legal aid in Ocean County is a straightforward process designed to assess your eligibility for free legal support with your situation. The first step is to contact the Ocean County legal aid office by phone or online to schedule an appointment. At that point, you will undergo a free consultation to determine if you qualify for their services.
During the consultation, you will be asked a series of questions, including basic information about your legal issue, along with income, financial and asset information. Be prepared to provide detailed documentation on income sources, expenses, dependents and a list of other benefits you receive. You will need to provide copies of documents, including:
After you have submitted the necessary documentation, your case will be evaluated. Because the approved number of legal aid cases is limited, if your request is accepted they will contact you to schedule your first appointment.
As legal aid seeks to provide representation to as many people as possible, there is a limit regarding the number of legal aid cases they will take on per year. If you are referred elsewhere, and you can’t afford a lawyer, you may be directed to the pro bono program, in which private attorneys will represent you free of charge.
Ocean County Legal Aid Success Stories and Impact
Saturday went quite well; I actually had the chance to stop by and introduce myself, and to my pleasant surprise, I met some clients. I am always cautious around new clients and I have a set of rules I like to tell them to help guide them in making decisions in the future in their cases. This family was no different; they did not have the money to pay a private attorney and they were facing a problem that could cause much trouble for them. The key to the story is that the father has finished his drug rehab program and they are working on rebuilding their family, their assets, and their lives. It’s great that the system has a natural way of rewarding those who do not give up.
Success stories always come out of legal aid, even when the circumstances are difficult. When a person doesn’t have the money, or even close to enough money, and has a tough case (again, of course it would be already going into family court if it were easy), there could be a million reasons why this person could give up. Since the person cannot pay a private attorney and they do not want to rely on the success of their case to pay the attorney, there is always the option of going to legal aid. When a person gets turned away from legal aid, it can feel like the whole world is against them. But when that person takes the time to go to legal aid after being turned away , then meets with a volunteer, it is unexpected; it is a pleasant surprise.
A few months ago I did the same thing, but I was assigned a pro se divorce case where the husband was currently incarcerated. And to put the icing on the cake, the husband wanted to forgive the debt owed to him by the wife! After the case was completed and the divorce was finalized, I hadn’t heard anything from the volunteers at legal aid in quite a while, then one day, BOOM! A story of success and how legal aid changed a person’s life for the better! When I met the now ex-wife of the case I handled, she was on her way to drug rehabilitation. At that moment, I thought that this was another lost case; I doubted she would successfully complete the rehabilitation program. A few months later, it’s a complete opposite story.
It was very refreshing to see that despite her very tough upbringings, this woman did not give up and is working on rebuilding her life for herself and her children. It is hard to recognize success when you have been down for so long, but the message is clear, you need to just keep trying and pushing to succeed. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who do fall through the cracks and we always hope that those people can make their way back to the safe side of the system.
Challenges Facing Ocean County Legal Aid
Despite these laudable goals, Ocean County Legal Aid is up against a number of challenges that inhibit the provision of legal assistance. One of the most significant matters of concern is the funding limitations currently in place. Legal aid programs are largely supported by federal funding and state grants. However, as government budgets tighten, grant money continues to dwindle. This inevitably affects the operations of the Ocean County free legal aid office. In addition to funding, the significant legal needs of ocean county residents are beyond the capacity of available legal aid resources. Household bankruptcy, veterans issues and civil rights disputes comprise a large portion of the cases that come before the program, yet there are insufficient volunteer attorneys to assist all of those that need help. The problem of accessibility of free legal aid extends well beyond the services provided by Ocean County Legal Aid, as the number of volunteer attorneys statewide has decreased dramatically.
Ocean County Legal Aid Contact Information and Resources
Ocean County Legal Aid offers free legal assistance, and they can be contacted via the following details:
Ocean County Legal Aid Office
Ocean County Courthouse
118 Washington Street
Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: (732) 929-2077
217 Warren Ave.
Manchester, NJ 08759
Phone: (732) 286-4050
972 Hooper Ave., 2nd Fl.
Toms River , NJ 08753
Phone: (732) 288-3235
Ocean County Legal Aid operates with the support of numerous additional resources and organizations. Free legal aid resources are also available through the NJ Courts.org website. By visiting the site, you will gain access to a broad range of statewide legal services and initiatives, including pro bono services, foreclosure services, self-help centers, and many more.