Maryland Legal Aid

Organization Description

Maryland Legal Aid’s mission is to provide high-quality legal services to Maryland’s poor through a mix of services and to bring about the changes poor people want in the systems that affect them. Services include statewide legal representation of Maryland's low-income population, foreclosure prevention, workforce legal services, and eviction prevention. 

Locations and offices statewide

Online Intake Form

Program Details

Joining Forces Project (Veterans' Hotline)

Program Website: Joining Forces Project

Program Description:

Maryland Legal Aid’s Joining Forces project is a free, statewide legal telephone hotline specifically for low-income individuals who have served in any branch of the military. Callers receive direct and immediate access to legal assistance and brief advice on a wide range of civil legal issues.

Areas of general services including:

  • Consumer Rights
  • Expungements
  • Family
  • Government Benefits
  • Housing
  • Veterans’ Benefits

Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 443-863-4040
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): No
Advice/Help Hotline Days/Hours: Tuesdays, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Thursdays, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 443-863-4040
Intake days/hours (by phone): Tuesdays, 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Thursdays, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Condition of waiver (describe): Must be financially eligible
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Statewide
Eligibility-income: Individuals who have household incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty level may qualify.
Eligibility-military: Individuals who have served in any branch of the military
Services
Children (Child Custody, Support, Adoption): Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Consumer: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Divorce: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Expungement: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Other Topics: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Civil Legal Services

Program Website: Civil Legal Services

Program Description:

MLA handles civil (not criminal) cases involving a wide range of issues, including child custody, housing, public benefits, consumer law (e.g., bankruptcy and debt collection), and criminal record expungements to remove barriers to obtaining child custody, housing, and employment.

Many of MLA's local offices represent children in CINA (Child in Need of Assistance) proceedings. Other vulnerable populations, such as victims of abuse and domestic violence, seniors, migrant farmworkers, veterans, and nursing home and assisted living residents, also receive specialized representation. MLA’s services include representation before federal and state trial and appellate courts, brief advice and counsel, and referrals to other sources of assistance.


Online intake form URL: Online Intake Form
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Program staff provide services in other languages: Spanish (some locations)
Intake days/hours (walk-in): Varies by office locations
Office days/hours: M-F; hours vary by office location
Intake days/hours (by phone): Varies by office locations
Intake days/hours (other): Varies by office locations
Condition of waiver: Maryland Legal Aid’s services are FREE. We determine financial eligibility for legal services based on the income and asset information of EVERY person in the household, using Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.
Condition of waiver (describe): Must be financially eligible
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Maryland resident
Eligibility-income: Maryland residents and United States citizens, lawful permanent residents and certain other categories of immigrants are eligible for MLA's services. Your citizenship status is kept confidential and will not be reported to any government agencies. MLA does not handle immigration matters.
Eligibility-other: Maryland Legal Aid does not accept criminal, personal injury, or traffic court matters.
Services
Children (Child Custody, Support, Adoption): Full Representation
Civil Rights: Full Representation
Consumer: Full Representation
Divorce: Full Representation
Domestic Violence: Full Representation
Expungement: Full Representation
Employment: Full Representation
Guardianship: Full Representation
Housing - General: Full Representation
Housing - Landlord/Tenant: Full Representation
Life and Health Planning: Full Representation
Wills, Estates, Probate: Full Representation
Other Topics: Full Representation
Se habla Español: Full Representation

Ryan White Project

Program Website: Ryan White Project

Program Description:

The Ryan White Project provides free legal services crucial to Maryland residents who are HIV positive or who have AIDS and live in Baltimore City or Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, or Queen Anne’s Counties. Services are designed to provide peace of mind and enable individuals to focus on their primary struggle, free of discrimination - fighting the effects of HIV/AIDS and staying well.


Program Contact Phone: 866-635-2948
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Condition of waiver (describe): Must be positive for HIV/AIDS
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Baltimore Carroll, Harford, Howard, and Queen Anne's counties
Eligibility-income: Individuals who have household incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty level may qualify.
Eligibility-other: Persons who are positive for HIV/AIDS
Services
Other Topics: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project


Program Description:
Maryland Legal Aid’s Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project (FLAP) represents low-income homeowners throughout Maryland at all stages of the foreclosure process, including mediations, motions to stay and dismiss sales, bankruptcies, exceptions to sales, motions for orders of possession, and evictions. Advice and referrals to other resources are provided to applicants who we are unable to represent.
 

Program Contact Phone: 888-213-3320
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 888-213-3320
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 888-213-3320
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Statewide
Eligibility-income: Household income must be below 125% of the federal poverty income guidelines.
Services
Housing - General: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Long-Term Care Assistance Project


Program Description:

Maryland Legal Aid’s Long-Term Care Assistance Project provides free legal assistance to help low-income people obtain long-term healthcare. Through this project, clients can get the services and supports they need, wherever they want to live, whether it is in their own homes, within the community through assisted living, or in nursing homes.


Program Contact Phone: 866-635-2948
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 866-635-2948
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 866-635-2948
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Statewide
Eligibility-income: Individuals who have household incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty level may qualify.
Services
Life and Health Planning: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Se habla Español: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Maryland Senior Legal Helpline


Program Description:

The Senior Legal Helpline is a free telephone service for persons living in Maryland, aged 60 years or older. Attorneys who staff the helpline provide legal advice, brief legal services, or a referral to another lawyer or to an appropriate public or private agency. By providing these services over the telephone, seniors can get help for their legal problems without having to leave home.

 


Program Contact Phone: 866-635-2948
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 866-635-2948
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 866-635-2948
Eligibility-residence-county: Statewide
Eligibility-income: Individuals who have household incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty level may qualify.
Services
Life and Health Planning: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Wills, Estates, Probate: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Other Topics: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics

Community Lawyering Initiative


Program Description:

Maryland Legal Aid's Community Lawyering Initiative places highly-skilled lawyers directly in under-served neighborhoods to provide free, life-changing legal assistance. Attorneys also provide help with criminal record expungements to remove barriers to obtaining employment, affordable housing, and custody of children. The Community Lawyering Initiative includes a number of weekly and monthly expungement clinics coordinated and hosted in partnership with community organizations from around the state, as well as expansion of the Lawyer in the Library program to other library locations in Baltimore City, Baltimore and Montgomery counties.

 


Program Contact Phone: 443-451-2805
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 443-451-2805
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): No
Advice/Help Hotline Phone: 443-451-2805
Cost or fee (describe): Free
Eligibility-residence-county: Statewide
Eligibility-income: Individuals who have household incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty level may qualify.
Services
Children (Child Custody, Support, Adoption): Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Civil Rights: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Consumer: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Divorce: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Domestic Violence: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Expungement: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Employment: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Guardianship: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Housing - General: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Housing - Landlord/Tenant: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Life and Health Planning: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Wills, Estates, Probate: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Other Topics: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Se habla Español: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
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