Legal Assistance

Key Benefits

• Provide persona/confidential legal advice to those without financial access to an attorney
• Addresses a wide-range of issues from family law to legal disputes
• Makes the search for qualified counsel simple and cost-effective.

The complexity of the legal system is often an impediment to obtaining justice. The Center's Legal Assistance program helps clients navigate the complex legal system by offering free legal advice to low-income and elderly clients in the Kansas City metropolitan area. This program handles a wide variety of poverty and elderly law issues including:

• Public benefits (social security, SSI, veterans benefits, rent and tax rebate, etc.)
• End-of-life issues (wills, durable powers of attorney, advance directives, living wills, etc.)
• Health care issues (prescription drug benefits, Medicare and QMB, Medicaid, etc.)
• Housing (senior housing, landlord/tenant, city code violation, assisted living and nursing home, etc.)
• Family issues (elder financial abuse, child support, adult abuse, etc.)
• Miscellaneous (creditor problems, contracts, insurance, employment, worker's compensation, municipal court, etc.).

A few hours of professional legal assistance can make a significant and permanent difference in the life of an individual or family. Many people do not know about the public entitlement benefits for which they are eligible, or how to apply for retroactive benefits they may have missed. They may need legal assistance in negotiating the complexities of insurance and health care coverage, including the new Medicare program options. Our Legal Assistance program empowers individuals in situations like these by giving them access to high-quality legal advice free of charge.

* One elderly client did not know about the Missouri Rent and/or Real Estate tax rebate when she sought help on a separate issue. The Legal Assistance program helped this client get her home out of foreclosure and allowed her to continue living in her home. This type of assistance is life changing and much more cost-effective than trying to assist clients after they have fallen into the homeless shelter system.

* A 67-year-old gentleman came to us without any source of income. He was struggling to survive, and had no idea he was eligible for several public assistance benefits. Without the Center's Legal Assistance program, it is unlikely that he would have been able to make his way through the bureaucratic obstacles in order to receive the benefits for which he was qualified. Because of his participation in the program, he received back benefits, and is now receiving the monthly benefits for which he is eligible.

In addition to the tangible financial effect for many clients, this program fosters a strong sense of empowerment by creating an opportunity for individuals to regain control of some important aspect of their lives.

To learn more about the Legal Assistance program call 816-931-9942 or email: info@kcsocialservices.org