Legal Assistance

Program Contact Phone
410-997-0304
Intake days/hours (by phone)
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Advice/Help Hotline Phone
410-997-2272
Advice/Help Hotline Days/Hours
24/7
Cost or fee (describe)
All of HopeWorks service fees are based on income. No one is ever turned away because of an inability to pay.
Program Description

Legal Assistance: HopeWorks' Legal Department provides civil legal services including brief advice, information and referrals, representation and consultation in peace and protective order matters, crime victims’ rights, divorce, custody, and other family law proceedings. We also provide consultation and accompaniment with survivors in criminal cases. HopeWorks will provide assistance in filing petitions for protection.  It is recommended that petitoners contact the legal department as soon as possible, but no less than 2 business days prior to a hearing. https://hopeworksofhc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/HW-Legal-Services-…

Advocacy: HopeWorks is able to provide compassionate support, assistance, and referrals to survivors for basic needs such as shelter, food, clothing, and transportation. They can also provide hospital accompaniment at Howard County General Hospital and support during criminal legal processes.

Emergency Shelter: Emergency shelter and transititional housing is available for survivors and their children through the Residential Department. 

Counseling and Peer Support: HopeWorks offers crisis and short-term counseling, children's counseling, and therapeutic groups to adult and child survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Once a month, HopeWorks offers a Human Trafficking Peer Support Group that provides services to survivors of human trafficking. 

Abuser Intervention Program: Referrals to the Abuser Intervention program are taken from 8:30am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday at 443-997-5575.

Children (Child Custody, Support, Adoption)
Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Divorce
Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Domestic Violence
Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Immigrant Legal Assistance Project

Program Description

Thousands of unaccompanied children and families have come to Maryland - seeking refuge from violence in their home countries. Unaccompanied children are nearly five times more likely to win their immigration cases when they are represented by a lawyer. Families fleeing violence are 14 times more likely to win. The Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP) is looking for volunteers to help these children and families gain access to critical legal assistance with their valid claims to remain in the United States.

Immigration and Citizenship
Full Representation

Home Preservation Project (HPP)

Program Contact email
Program Description

The goal of the Home Preservation Project is to keep people in their homes.  We believe that by providing the tools and supports that we offer, we are able to help long-time members of communities age in place, preserve intergenerational wealth (which, for our clients, is generally equity in the home), provide security for families, and protect the rights of homeowners.   

Estate Planning Services:  Estate planning sounds like something that would only be important to people of means, but this isn’t the case.  At our clinics, “Estate planning” means that we draft for our clients a will, an advance medical directive, and a financial power of attorney.   

Tax Sale Prevention: To address the rising number of low-income homeowners in at risk of losing their homes due to delinquent property taxes, tax sale clinics were established in partnership with Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service.

Wills, Estates, Probate
Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Life and Health Planning
Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Tenant Volunteer Lawyer of the Day Program (TVLD)

Program Description

PBRC’s Tenant Volunteer Lawyer of the Day Program (TVLD), is designed to protect tenants’ rights through same-day advocacy and legal representation in Rent Court.

Baltimore City District Court

  • 501 E. Fayette Street, Courtroom 2
    • Monday and Tuesday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
    • Wednesday and Thursday 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Baltimore County District Courts

  • Towson District Court:
    • Friday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Essex District Court:
    • Monday 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Housing - Landlord/Tenant
Full Representation

Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic

Office days/hours
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Intake days/hours (walk-in)
Currently the clinic does not have walk-in consultation facilities.
Intake days/hours (by phone)
410-706-3295
Description of other
Please note that legal advice is not given over the phone. Availability for assistance is dependent on the academic calendar.
Cost or fee (describe)
Free of cost to eligible clients
Condition of waiver (describe)
The Clinic considers all requests for assistance on a case-by-case basis.
Eligibility-residence-county
Statewide
Eligibility-other
People living with HIV/AIDS
Program Description

The Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic provides free civil legal services to low-income people living with HIV to improve clients’ legal and health outcomes. The Clinic is a program of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s clinical program, which provides legal services to individuals, families and communities throughout Maryland and prepares law students for their legal careers.

Other Topics
Limited representation

Foreclosure Prevention

Program Contact email
Program Contact Phone
301-722-3390
Program uses Language Line (Y/N)
Yes
Program Description

Volunteer attorneys meet with eligible clients to discuss options, answer questions about the foreclosure process and represent homeowners at foreclosure mediations and judicial proceedings. If you have not yet defaulted on your mortgage payment, but may be at risk of defaulting, please call to apply for advice. Assistance is available to residents of Allegany County to prevent foreclosure or negotiate leaving your home.

Housing - General
Full Representation

Domestic Violence Assistance

Program Contact Phone
410-626-7800
Office days/hours
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Intake days/hours (other)
Live chat available on website
Advice/Help Hotline Phone
24-Hour Hotline: 410-222-6800
Eligibility-residence-county
Anne Arundel county residents only
Program Description

The YWCA legal services program administers a reduced-fee child custody representation project, matching private attorneys with low-income individuals seeking representation in contested custody matters.

Legal services:  Ex parte (Civil Advocates in both Annapolis and Glen Burnie District Courts and Circuit Courts, as well as further matters with divorce & custody advocate in Circuit Court.

Protective Order Representation (sliding scale according to gross income). No limitations for legal services.

Shelter (must call hotline first: only domestic violence)

Counseling: Survivors (individual and group) and children 
 

Domestic Violence
Full Representation