Legal Aid Society of Hawaii HOME

Legal Aid has a number of projects designed to assist low income, working low income and other vulnerable individuals. Many of these projects are funded through grants or partnerships with other agencies.

For additional information about QUALIFICATIONS

DISCLAIMER:
This website is designed to provide general information and should not
be utilized as a substitute for professional legal advice.

LEGAL ADVOCACY FOR FAMILIES & CHILDREN is intended to help children less than 18 years of age and their families/caregivers living in Hawai`i who are experiencing family dysfunction and who require legal assistance to ensure safety, stability, and economic self-sufficiency.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i aims to assist children and families to stabilize situations such as households where there is domestic violence and child abuse by providing a number of civil legal services to them including, but not limited to, child custody, housing, consumer debt, employment, public benefits issues and other child services issues such as education, teen pregnancy, and runaway children. By reducing the stressors that negatively affect efforts to support and promote family reunification, Legal Aid will help foster a household environment that is safe for children and self-sufficient.

For more information, contact the Hotline

Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m

O’ahu: 536-4302
Maui: 242-0724
Molokai: 553-3251
Lanai: 565-6089
Kauai: 245-7580
Hilo: 934-0678
Kona: 329-8331

Ray Gurczynski, Esq., Supervising Attorney

The AFFORDABLE LAWYERS PROGRAM offers quality legal services at affordable prices to individuals who make too much money to qualify for free Legal Aid services.

DOWNLOAD A BROCHURE FOR AFFORDABLE LAWYERS

Services provided by AFFORDABLE LAWYERS includes:

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
Divorce
Adoption
Modification of Child Custody, Visitation, and/or Child Support
Guardianship of a Minor Child or Incapacitated Adult
Powers of Attorney, Advance Health Care Directives, and Simple Wills
Name Changes
and more...

Services generally range from $50 to $100 per hour, depending on whether service is provided by an attorney or paralegal. Certain services may be provided for a package rate. For example, an uncontested divorce may cost between $300 to $500, plus court costs.

HOW DO I APPLY?
To apply for services from the Affordable Lawyers Project,
please call intake: 536-4302 on Oahu,
or 1-800-499-4302 ext. 227
on the Neighbor Islands and leave a message.

Please leave your full name, household size, gross monthly income, type of legal problem, name of the opposing party, and contact information when you call. Our friendly staff will return your call within two to three (2-3) business days.

You may also e-mail our staff at alawyers@lashaw.org. Please include your phone number or other contact information in your e-mail.

Angela Lovitt, Esq., AmeriCorps Program Director

AmeriCorps is a national service program patterned after the Peace Corps with the goal if increasing community based volunteerism. Members of Legal Aid’s AmeriCorps Project Laulima are placed at various legal service and social service agencies across the state. The goal of the project is to provide holistic services to low income clients and to strengthen the connection between low income legal and social service providers.

Full-time and part-time members strive to improve the access of low-income individuals to legal, social, and economic justice in the community. Since its birth in 1997, members in our project have:

Assisted over 33,000 low-income with advice or referral on their civil matter;
Created over 350 self-help materials to instruct users on their legal rights;
Distributed over 60,000 self-help brochures to low-income individuals;
Assisted over 4,200 individuals in 1,241 self-help clinics and workshops.

To download the AmeriCorps Project Laulima Brochure

Angela Lovitt, Esq., Director of Training & Special Projects

Brown Bags is a community project sponsored by the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i. The goal of our Brown Bags Seminars is to provide periodic forums that educate both social service advocates and those in the legal community on various legal and social service topics affecting Hawai`i’s low-income community. Brown Bags also endeavors to build closer relationships between legal service providers and non-profit agencies that assist low-income clients.

HOW DO I SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE?
To participate in Legal Aid’s Brown Bag seminars, or for more information, please contact Angela Lovitt by telephone at 808-527-8003, or by e-mail at anlovit@lashaw.org.

Opened in November 1998, the CENTER FOR EQUAL JUSTICE (CEJ) is a one-stop shop for justice that strives to empower unrepresented court users to resolve their legal issues on their own.

Legal Aid's CEJ is Hawaii's first self-help legal center. The CEJ has 4 main components:

1) Provides brief legal servies to eligible low- to moderate-income individuals and families in the areas of FAMILY LAW, HOUSING LAW, PUBLIC BENEFITS and CONSUMER LAW;

2) Provides the use of our facilities to those not eligible for Legal Aid, so that they may resolve legal issues on their own. These facilities include: computers, printers, typewriters, a legal library, a copy machine, telephones and a work area.

3) Publishes brochures and self-help packets on family, housing public benefits, and consumer legal issues; and

4) Offers 24-hour recorded scripts on legal issues.

CEJ SELF-HELP HOURS:
MONDAY - FRIDAY

9:00am to 11:30am

HONOLULU CEJ
924 Bethel Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

KAUAI CEJ
3016 Umi Street, Ste. 220
Lihue, HI 96766

To download the CEJ Brochure

The Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i received a grant from the Hawai`i Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide legal services to domestic violence victims.

Through this grant, Legal Aid provides legal services to victims who are receiving cash welfare benefits and are exempt from the welfare work requirement because of the violence in their lives. These legal services may be related to the abuse, but need not be.

Download our DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCACY BROCHURE

NOTE TO TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) CLIENTS:

To determine if you are eligible for the Domestic Violence Status (DVS), contact your DHS worker today.

Child & Family Services (CFS) also works closely with Legal Aid and DHS to assess and assist with the clients’ non-legal, social service needs.

When a household is receiving the DVE from DHS, the household is eligible for FREE legal services from Legal Aid. In addition, to free legal services, for a period of 6 months, the exemption relieves the household from:

- the 5 year time limit,
- the 20% grant reduction, and
- the work requirements of the First-to-Work program

Individuals and families NOT receiving TANF funds (below) may receive our services upon qualification.

To see if you qualify for SERVICES

R.A. Jones, Fair Housing Investigation Coordinator

FAIR HOUSING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM (FHEP). Fair housing laws prohibit discrimination in the rental sale, finance, or insurance of housing based upon certain protected categories. Protected categories include race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital status, family status, and HIV infection. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Fair Housing Enforcement Program (FHEP) aims to enforce fair housing laws by determining whether housing providers (landlords, lenders, sellers, etc.) are discriminating against individuals.

This program offers statewide services to victims of housing discrimination, regardless of their income or assets. If you believe that you are a victim of ILLEGAL HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, please CONTACT US at:

808-527-8017 on Oahu or
1-866-527-FAIR (3247) on the Neighbor Islands.

For additional information about FAIR HOUSING LAW

The FAMILY COURTHOUSE ASSISTANCE PROJECT (Family CAP) is a collaborative project between the Family Court of the First Circuit and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i.

Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, a Legal Aid attorney works at Family Court in Honolulu to provide legal assistance to eligible, unrepresented court users. Services can include immediate counsel & advice, assistance drafting court orders and forms, assistance calculating child support, and help negotiating with the other party.

Family CAP is staffed at the following location and time:

Honolulu Circuit Court, 2nd Floor
Wednesdays
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. &
1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Thursdays
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. &
1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Fridays
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i provides FREE GENERAL LEGAL representation through the generous financial support of the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the State of Hawai`i, and Aloha United Way

To apply for GENERAL LEGAL SERVICES from Legal Aid, please CONTACT OUR INTAKE HOTLINE at:

536-4302 on OAHU, or

1-800-499-4302
on the NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

CALL TIMES:

MONDAY - FRIDAY
9:00am to 11:30am, or
1:00pm to 3:30pm

For additional information about QUALIFICATIONS

In addition to providing civil legal services to eligible clients in family, public benefits, housing, and consumer law, the Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i runs special programs benefiting families and children, the “gap” group, the homeless, domestic violence victims, children and seniors as well as assisting with housing discrimination, tax controversies and housing counseling.

Many of these programs have broader eligibility requirements and allowing Legal Aid to assist more people across the state. Others are limited to certain geographic regions.

Unless otherwise noted, please contact Legal Aid’s Intake Hotline for services.

Through a contract with the Hawai`i State Judiciary, Legal Aid advocates are appointed as guardians ad litem (GALs) in Child Protective Services (CPS) cases.

GALs represent children who have been abused or neglected by advocating for the children’s best interest. GALs visit the children, conduct investigations, report to the court, and attend all hearings on behalf of the children.

Janet Kelly, Esq., Supervising Attorney

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), this project provides holistic legal services to homeless individuals and families.

Providing holistic services to homeless persons during their transition from homelessness to independent living is crucial. This project focuses on four major areas:

1) Getting and keeping a steady source of income
2) Getting and keeping shelter
3) Protecting personal safety
4) Improving personal and family relationships

To qualify for legal services under the HOMELESS PROGRAM, an individual or family must:

a) Live on the streets, in a park, on the beach, or in a place not usually meant for human habitation;
b) Live in an emergency or transitional shelter;
c) Live in a domestic violence shelter and not be able to immediately return home;
d) Have an eviction pending in Court; OR
e) Be discharged from an institution and have no place to go

In addition to Legal Aid’s Intake Hotline, individuals who are homeless may receive services at any of the following locations and times:

Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
86-260 Farrington Hwy
Every Friday from 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Waimanalo Health Center
41-1347 Kalanianaole Hwy
Every Thursday from 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Institute for Human Services – Women’s Shelter
546 Kaaahi Street
Every Wednesday from 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Onemalu at Barber’s Point Transitional Housing
Every other Tuesday from 1:00-3:30 p.m.
and by appointment (residents only).

Catholic Charities Maililand Transitional Shelter
Every other Tuesday from 1:00-3:30 p.m.
and by appointment (residents only).

This project addresses the legal and financial issues facing renters, home buyers, and homeowners defaulting on their mortgages, regardless of their income and assets.

Services provided through the HUD Housing Counseling Program are broken down into 4 main categories:
1) Renter’s Assistance, 2) Homeownership Counseling & Pre-purchase Issues, 3) Default & Foreclosure, 4) Predatory Lending Scams, and 5) Reverse Mortgages

1) THE RENTER'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - provides renters with a broad range of legal assistance (from advice only to full representation) about tenants’ legal rights and responsibilities.

2) THE HOMEOWNERSHIP COUNSELLING & PRE-PURCHASE ISSUES - provides basic pre-purchase counseling or default counseling coupled with negotiation assistance with lenders when necessary. Pre-purchase counseling prepares individuals for home ownership by assisting them in qualifying for a home loan and educating them on home ownership issues. Post-purchase counseling may include advice and counsel on reverse mortgages, foreclosure, prevention of foreclosure, forbearance, repayment plans, bankruptcy, and other possible remedies. Services may also include negotiation on behalf of individuals who have disabilities or who face other obstacles preventing them from handling negotiations on their own.

3) DEFAULT & FORECLOSURE - Default and Foreclosure counseling provides clients who are in default or in the foreclosure process with individualized assistance in analysis of each client’s situation, status of delinquency, amount delinquent, past and current financial situations, expected future financial situation, goals and realistic goals. Advice is provided on client’s loss mitigation options, how to proceed in terms of the option they choose, and consequences that may follow. In some cases additional assistance is provided by contactin their lenders, assisting with workout packages, assisting with writing letters on their behalf, referrals to private attorneys, and various other services to help clients achieve their goals.

4) PREDATORY LENDING SCAMS - Predatory lending counseling provides clients with a comprehensive review of loan documents whenever possible if predatory lending is suspected. As appropriate for each individual case, the clients are assisted in negotiations with the lender to restructure the loan, assist in facilitating refinancing, and/or refer the case to legal staff or a private attorney for legal representation. Finally, individuals may receive counseling to determine if loans they are considering are predatory.

5) REVERSE MORTGAGES - Reverse Mortgage Counseling provides clients with individual counseling either in our office through home visits when necessary. Clients are given information and were counseled about the various aspects of the reverse mortgage, other options that may be available to them, and the consequences of a reverse mortgage. Upon completion of the counseling, a certificate of HECM counseling is provided allowing clients to go forward with reverse mortgage financing.

To speak with an advocate about a housing issue, call:

O`ahu: 536-4302

Maui: 242-0724

Moloka`i: 553-3251

Lana`i: 565-6089
Kaua`i: 245-7580

Hilo: 934-0678

Kona: 329-8331

This project aims to serve children who may qualify for social security disability benefits. Through the project, Legal Aid partners with the Department of Human Services to assist children receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and consists of two components:

(1) Services include representation starting at the initial SSI application stage through the hearing stage if and when appropriate. DHS is referring children who are not eligible for Title IVE status to Legal Aid to receive these services.
(2) Outreach to disabled children and families with disabled children who may qualify for disability benefits. Information regarding this resource for low-income and disabled children is sparse. Legal Aid believes that spreading information and assisting with the social security disability application process will benefit many of Hawai`i’s children and families.

Children must meet certain criteria in order to qualify for social security benefits.

Kids' Supplemental Security Program Brochure

Foster Kids' Supplemental Security Program Brochure

The LOW-INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC (LITC) represents low-income taxpayers involved in controversies with the IRS, and provides education and outreach on the taxpayer rights and responsibilities of U.S. taxpayers to individuals who speak English as a second language (ESL).

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii provides legal representation, education, and outreach services for free. The LITC is funded in part by the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service LITC Grant.

To download the LOW-INCOME TAX Brochure

BIG ISLAND & MAUI ONLY - Funded by the Office on Aging, the TITLE III SENIOR PROGRAM'S overall goal is to provide legal advice, counseling, and representation to Maui and Hawaii County seniors regardless of their income or assets. Some common services include assistance with simple wills, housing, medicare, durable powers of attorney, advance health care directives, medicaid, adoptions, divorce, and many other standard services.

A joint project between the State of Hawai`i Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Legal Aid Society of Hawai`i, the Social Security Advocacy Project helps disabled and elderly individuals who are receiving cash assistance from DHS to apply for and/or appeal their claim for SSI and Social Security benefits. You may be eligible for assistance through this project if you are receiving benefits from the following programs:

* Aid to the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (AABD)
* General Assistance (GA)
* Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
* Temporary Aid to Other Needy Families (TAONF)

Ray Gurcyzinski. Esq., Supervising Attorney

Through a contract with the Trustees of the Hawai`i Teamsters and Allied Workers, some employees of Local 996 Teamsters /Allied Workers companies are eligible for legal services.

Under this legal services plan, Legal Aid staff provide eligible employees and their dependents with legal advice and consultation, or brief legal assistance in the areas of family, consumer, public benefits, traffic, misdemeanor, and housing law, and more. The union plan covers a variety of different legal issues.

If you are a Local 996 union member and would like more information on the union plan’s services, or your particular legal issue(s), please contact Ray Gurcyzinski at 808-527-8082 or ragurcz@lashaw.org.

Not all Local 996 members are eligible for these services, only those whose companies are participating in the legal services plan.

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