Southern Arizona Legal Aid offers free services to eligible clients

Free legal services are available to low-income residents of Graham and Greenlee counties through Southern Arizona Legal Aid.

“We provide legal services from counseling and advice to representation at hearings,” Vanessa Franco, Southern Arizona Legal Aid staff attorney, said.

To be eligible for free legal representation a person must be considered low income according to federal guidelines and must be a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States, Franco said.

People seeking the services of Legal Aid may apply over the phone at 520-432-1639. Applications are taken from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. Franco said there is no charge to apply.

Legal Aid attorneys will represent eligible individuals in civil matters, such as landlord-tenant disputes, child custody, divorce, consumer issues and wills.

“We don’t do any criminal law at all,” Franco said.

There is, however, an exception – the Violence Against Women Act. Franco said Legal Aid will provide legal advice and representation to victims of domestic violence.

Legal Aid’s office is at 2 Copper Queen Plaza in Bisbee. Franco does not see the long drive to Bisbee as a stumbling block to obtaining legal services.

“If they can’t come to us, we can come to them,” Franco said, adding that much of the work can often be done via the telephone.

The office is staffed by Franco and another attorney and two support staff members. If additional help is needed for a person’s case, Legal Aid refers the case to a lawyer from the Volunteer Lawyer Program.

Southern Arizona Legal Aid is headquartered in Tucson and is part of the national Legal Aid, which is a nonprofit organization.


6 Responses to “Southern Arizona Legal Aid offers free services to eligible clients”

  1. Lori Says:
    May 30th, 2007 at 3:12 pm

    Are there free legal services available to residents of Maricopa county (East Mesa) like this service in southern Arizona?

  2. Amber Saucier Says:
    October 1st, 2007 at 10:58 pm

    Do you know of any free legal service in the Mohave County area? I need aid ASAP for a child custody case. We go to court October 11th. PLEASE HELP ME!
    Thank You, Amber Saucier 928-680-0764

  3. Doug Says:
    October 23rd, 2007 at 9:56 pm

    Can you please provide me with a list of potential free legal services in the Phoenix AZ area?

  4. Kearene McDonald Says:
    December 11th, 2007 at 4:39 am

    In July, 07 we were informed that we must be out of our apt. by the 31 of the month. * Although we were told there was a certified letter sent out giving us 30 days, this was in fact was not true.
    The certified letter may have been sent then, but it was left with our neighbor, Betty, who s 84 years old & almost completely blind. So we recieved a letter by regular mail on the 5th of the month. Although they claimed we were notified within the 30 day period, we obviously were not.This was neither of our falts, it was themail carriers, but were still denied our leagal time limit.
    This is just one of many things the managers of our apt at 3410 W.Rose Ln. Phoenix, AZ. The managers also refuse to alow us our rights to have the apt. repaired within the 10 days allowed by law. We were told & then a letter was mailed, of wich I have, telling us we could not have a profesional do the repairs, without prior authorization from them. They refused. they made miniscual repair & never addressed the real problem, for an entire years in regards to several things.

    Oddly enough the other tenats were allowed to call profesionals to come & do the repairs, & then take it off next months rent, as the law allows.

    These are just two of the many incidents incurred while in apt. #5

    I hope you can help us take care of all this. We were forced to move in the hottest part of the year which was in record breaking heat. As you know this summer broke multiple records for several years.

    Rhank You Very much, Karene

  5. Real Estate Lady Says:
    January 15th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    I am glad your readers are seeking legal help. So often our rights are denied us unless we have legal representation, information or are aware of what our legal rights are. I as a realtor want to wish commentor luck in obtaining their rights and thank the providers of this website. But I’ve found most tenants also need help with their credit. You can obtain completely free information info

  6. Jerri Roberts Says:
    March 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    Subject: URGENT ABUSE CASE – MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE – CHILDREN AT RISK

    THERE IS A GROSS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE FOR MY DAUGHTER IN ARIZONA:
    PLEASE VISIT: http://www.savelori.com to see photo of her abuse.

    LORI HUMMEL JAMES NEEDS AN ATTORNEY IN OUTRAGEOUS ABUSE CASE – RESIDENT OF SURPRISE, ARIZONA – CAN YOU HELP US.

    My name is Jerri Roberts, mother of Lori Hummel James a victim of spousal abuse for 12 years.

    There is a divorce case pending in the Arizona Superior Court – Judge Paneta. Case Todd James vs Lori Hummel James.

    Circumstances – Todd James is a convicted felon: shot a man in Kansas, spousal abuse in Arizona, Kansas and New Hampshire, public drunkenness and drug abuse. All in evidence in the present case.

    My daughter fled the state to save her life. She was unable to get the children away from her husband at the time.

    Judge Paneta’s Rulings until Divorce Trial:

    Judge Paneta allowed the children to remain with a convicted felon who is abusive. The children have had to call 911 twice and the calls are a matter of public record in the Surprise, AZ Police Dept. Children have witnessed their mother’s beatings repeatedly and the last episode, her son Seth called 911, also a mater of record in the current case.

    Judge Paneta did not give my daughter one dime to live on and I am supporting her. I gladly do this in the circumstances.

    Judge Paneta did not give my daughter access to one dime of the income from her business for an attorney. She owns the business and gave the father the rights of the business and the income from the business. JUSTICE?

    Todd James paid people to lie in court with payoffs of cars and houses. He assassinated my daughter’s character accusing her of alcoholism and many other things. Judge Paneta bought into it without allowing my daughter to defend herself. She is none of these things.

    My daughter did not give the attorney she had for a month permission to allow the children to remain with their father.

    When my daughter left in an emergency, she took a sum of money from her business to have a dwelling in Missouri where she went to high school and has friends to protect her. Besides the money she put into the house, she hired an attorney and once the hours were used she had no money for attorneys, food, house payment etc.

    Dr. Gaughn, a court-appointed psychiatrist assessed the entire situation and has recommended my daughter have sole custody of her children.

    SHE DOES NOT HAVE A LAWYER TO FILE THE PAPERS NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. JUDGE PANETA HAS PREVENTED HER FROM HER BASIC RIGHT TO RESCUE THESE CHILDREN, ONE OF WHOM IS HANDICAPPED.

    MY DAUGHTER MUST LIVE OUT OF STATE OR HER HUSBAND WILL KILL HER. She has nearly been killed several times and the State of Arizona should grant her custody out of state. Many times, warnings like this are ignored by the courts and the women and children get killed in a matter of days. You will see by his record that he is dangerous and irrational and I am begging for my daughter’s life. I am trying to help her. We do not have money for an attorney and the children will be lost to a world of crime, incest and abuse that is impossible to predict.

    This weekend, her husband told her to take the handicapped child in a handoff in Salina, Kansas and told her to take him to Missouri. This was a controlled, protected handoff. He sent a change of clothing and offered no support for his handicapped child and he is a wealthy man. His sister cried hysterically as she had to witness her mother and brother drive off. She is 11 years old and completely traumatized.

    My daughter had to stay home with her handicapped child during the marriage. She tried to finish college and each time Todd beat her so she couldn’t go to class. Now he drops off this child and doesn’t even care if he eats.

    WHAT AM I ASKING FOR? I am asking for an attorney for my daughter on any basis. She will pay what she can after the divorce and division of assets. Money is not her object over and above normal support for the children.

    HOW CAN WE FILE THE PAPERS TO GET THE CHILDREN LEGALLY IN HER CUSTODY OUT OF STATE WHERE SHE AND THE CHILDREN WILL BE PROTECTED FROM THEIR FATHER. SHE NEEDS AN EMERGENCY DIVORCE FROM THIS “MAN”.

    WHY IS A MOTHER DOING ALL OF THIS? My daughter has been so abused, she needs somebody to advocate for her at this time.

    Please call me and tell me what I can do to expedite this process and help resolve it. Each day is a traumatic day in the lives of the innocent children who may come to great harm unless they are removed from their father.

    Sincerely,

    Jerri Roberts, mother of Lori Hummel James
    907.683.0723 – Home
    907.322.3823 – Cell
    jerrigroberts@gmail.com

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