Community Legal Services in Yuma, Arizona: What You Need to Know
What is Community Legal Services?
Community legal services are important for individuals and families who require legal counsel but cannot afford traditional in-office appointments. The legal services in Yuma, AZ, make use of a mobile unit to bring legal counsel to those who may otherwise never have access to help. To facilitate access to qualified lawyers and attorneys, legal services are available to those in the following situations: Legal aid is primarily based on income and economic hardships. Lawyers who provide community legal services to low-income individuals and families are often paid on a sliding scale or provided income through governmental programs and initiatives. Those who provide legal aid do so on a volunteer basis , so much of the work is pro bono. In exchange for this valued work in the community, volunteers gain valuable experience and knowledge. Legal services also extend to those involved in group homes, domestic violence shelters, supervised living facilities, veteran homes, migrant camps and more. Many of the patients and residents in these facilities require legal services for a variety of reasons; services help to facilitate communication and collaboration between legal professionals and these individuals with special circumstances. Access to community legal services is a key piece of ensuring equity in our judicial system.
Legal Services Available in Yuma
As for the types of services offered, they encompass a variety of legal areas. Family law legal services include assistance with divorce, child custody and support, alimony, property division, and adoption. These parameters cover a wide range of needs, as each of these issues can be extremely complicated. Fortunately, they are handled with full confidence and compassion.
Housing legal services can include representation for tenant rights violations, landlord non-compliance with state housing laws, eviction, housing discrimination, quiet enjoyment, and rent. Suits against local housing authorities for violations of tenant rights are also available. Sometimes housing cases can be combined with employment cases, as well, for case efficiency and total remediation of the problems.
Consumer legal services include cases of purchase of defective and faulty products, fraud, contracts, and retail market crimes such as shoplifting and employee theft. The same is true for sales practices of goods, warranties, billing errors, and financial weakness.
Contracts and business legal services encompass formation and organization, incorporation, and drafting rules. Bankruptcy cases include consumer debt consolidation, lender negotiations, and fraud protection. Depending on the legal organization type, many issues may be handled as well.
How to Obtain Legal Assistance in Yuma
Organizations that provide legal services to low-income residents aim to make it simpler for individuals to access those services. In fact, the Yuma chapter of the Volunteer Lawyer Program forecasts that it will serve more than 7,000 people annually.
Yuma County residents who want to pursue legal aid must do so through the main office in Yuma. They can apply in person, on the telephone or online. The office is located at 1351 S. 5th Ave., Suite E.
The Yuma office is open for walk-in clients as well as telephone inquiries Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For scheduling purposes, a client intake coordinator meets with applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Yuma chapter of the Volunteer Lawyer Program provides assistance in civil cases only. It cannot assist clients who need representation in criminal cases. This free legal service accepts most civil cases except those that involve court-ordered representation. For example, the organization does not accept cases that provide for a right to appeal, such as a dependency of the administration case or a will contest.
Prior to accepting any case involving family law, consumer law, estate planning, real estate and some employment law concerns, an applicant must reach out to another organization, Community Legal Services, to schedule an appointment. A telephone call to CLS is required for all family-related, probate, bankruptcy and employment matters. If the volunteer organization cannot provide help with the matter, it will refer the applicant to Legal Aid Services of Arizona.
Low-income residents of Yuma may be eligible to receive the pro bono legal assistance that the Volunteer Lawyer Program offers. However, an applicant may qualify for services through that organization even if he or she makes too much money to qualify for Legal Aid Services of Arizona. Legal Aid’s income eligibility limits stipulate that a single person may not make more than $15.65 per hour, and the income limit for a two-person household is slightly over double that amount.
Unlike other potential legal aid providers, the Yuma chapter of the Volunteer Lawyer Program does not require applicants to demonstrate a financial hardship. In fact, anyone may apply for assistance. Instead, volunteers accept and turn down cases according to their individual preferences.
Unlike many other volunteer-based organizations, the Yuma chapter of the Volunteer Lawyer Program asks clients to contribute an hour or more per week of pro bono legal service. The organization relies upon grants as well as private donations to help provide its free legal aid services.
Community Organizations that Offer Legal Help
Arizona Center for Disability Law
The Arizona Center for Disability Law provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals with disabilities from Maricopa County. The Center’s mission is to protect the legal rights of people with disabilities in Arizona through a mix of legal advocacy, support, and information, as well as through community outreach and education. Arizona Center for Disability Law is located in Phoenix, but services are also provided in Yuma. Please visit their website to learn more about whether you qualify for assistance in your legal matter.
421 & 423 North 44th Avenue, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85008
Phone: 520-503-1700
Fax: 520-281-8805
Yuma Legal Aid Society
The Yuma Legal Aid Society offers low-income people legal services for civil matters during family law clinics held each Wednesday. Office appointments can also be made at any time. Legal clinics are held the first Tuesday of each month on eviction matters and the second Tuesday on bankruptcy.
118 South Second Avenue , Suite A, Yuma, AZ 85364
Phone: 928-782-7511
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.; 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Victim Assistance Program
The Victim Assistance Program (VAP) provides comprehensive and coordinated services to victims and survivors of crime, including professional legal assistance to victims through their qualified attorney volunteers. Legal services are offered to residents of Yuma for civil matters such as family law, estate planning and personal injury. Attorney volunteers lawfully represent clients in disputes. Co-counseling and advice is also offered through VAP’s staff attorneys.
Phone: 928-329-2206 (M-F, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m)
After-Hours Helpline: 1-866-670-9912
Testimonials and Successful Cases
Although the Yuma Community Legal Aid Clinic does not publish specific success stories, it shares testimonials from individuals who have found their services valuable. One anonymous client praises "Mr. Sterling and Mrs. Gimble out at the Legal Aid Clinic! They are wonderful! They got my taxes done free of charge and even helped me get my SLRP debt taken care in a timely, respectful manner." Another anonymous former client states: "The people that work at the Community Legal Aid Clinic in Yuma are awesome, they specialize in helping with criminal record and civil matters. You can apply online for legal assistance. It’s free for those who qualify." These testimonials provide further evidence of the clinic’s impact on locals in need of legal services.
Obstacles to Receiving Legal Services
Challenges in Accessing Legal Services
A large portion of Yuma County’s population are migrant and seasonal farm workers – so as you might expect, legal service organizations are stretched thin when it comes to meeting the legal needs of vulnerable communities. Arizona Legal Services, Inc., for example, provides essential legal services for low-income individuals and families throughout the state, including those in Yuma County who may need assistance in one of a number of primary areas of law: agriculture, immigration, housing, consumer law, public benefits , child custody and domestic violence.
The most common problems new clients face when looking for a legal service provider is simply not knowing where to start. Often, potential clients do not know what kind of help they actually need, or which legal services organization can best provide for their needs. For this reason, public agencies and nonprofit organizations frequently partner with one another in the interest of helping clients navigate the system with its many sensitive twists and turns. Those seeking advice and assistance would do well to keep track of the website and social media updates of their local providers; frequently, updates will address critical events and important initiatives in real time.