What Is Legal Aid in Asheville?
Legal aid in Asheville serves as a lifeline for low-income residents seeking legal assistance. It encompasses a range of free or low-cost legal services aimed at helping individuals and families navigate the legal system and gain access to justice. In Asheville, legal aid organizations focus on serving the most vulnerable in the community, including the elderly, disabled, immigrants, and those facing economic hardships.
The importance of legal aid in Asheville cannot be overstated. It acts as both a preventive tool and a means of redressing injustices. By providing legal assistance early on, legal aid can help prevent disputes from escalating and leading to costly litigation . Legal aid services addressed by Asheville legal aid lawyers include civil matters such as family law, housing, public benefits, disability, immigration, and employment issues. More recently, various programs have come into place to address the need for legal support in criminal cases involving low-level offenses.
For local residents, the benefits of accessing legal aid can be significant. Not only does legal aid promote social justice and equality, but it also helps to strengthen the rule of law by ensuring that even those with limited resources have access to legal counsel. Additionally, it can be empowering for individuals to know that they have options available to them and a trusted entity that can provide guidance and representation in legal matters.
Types of Legal Aid Available in Asheville
The legal aid organizations in Asheville specialize in a wide range of areas to assist with various legal challenges. Their services often encompass family law, housing, employment, disaster relief, public benefits, and more, ensuring that they can address the diverse needs of low-income individuals and families.
Family Law
Asheville legal aid organizations offer resources for individuals seeking assistance with family law issues like divorce, child custody and support, spousal support (alimony), domestic violence, and guardianship arrangements.
Housing
Legal aid groups assist residents in Asheville with issues related to housing, including eviction defense, tenant’s rights, foreclosures, and landlord-tenant disputes.
Employment
Disputes with employers such as issues related to wrongful terminations, unpaid wages, or unlawful worker misclassification are addressed by legal aid in Asheville.
Public Benefits
Legal aid can also help clients navigate the complex world of public benefits such as welfare, supplemental nutrition programs (SNAP), Social Security Disability Assistance (SSDI), and Medicare and Medicaid.
Disaster Legal Aid
In the aftermath of natural disasters, some organizations offer legal aid to help victims with insurance claims, housing issues, and other assistance programs to help get back on their feet.
This variety of services ensures that Asheville-area legal aid organizations are well-prepared to assist clients in overcoming their legal challenges.
Key Legal Aid Organizations in Asheville
When it comes to accessing justice for low-income individuals, a number of legal aid organizations contribute to the rich tapestry of services available in the Asheville, North Carolina area. These organizations, through their various missions, embody the spirit of equality and justice that is characteristic of the legal system’s most basic tenets.
Legal Aid of North Carolina serves the largest client base of any non-profit law firm in North Carolina – accounting for over 75,000 clients serviced since its inception in 1995. With the simple motto of "Equal access to justice" Legal Aid of North Carolina’s mission is to provide solutions to the legal issues that underprivileged residents may be facing. From attorneys to paralegals, and even administrative staff, Legal Aid of North Carolina has more than 500 dedicated employees through 25 offices scattered throughout the state.
Community Legal Counsel of Western North Carolina has been serving the region since 1989. This legal aid organization focuses on working with low-income citizens who have legal needs covering domestic and lawful assistance for the elderly. From homes to healthcare, Community Legal Counsel of Western North Carolina seeks to improve the economic security and quality of life for those living in the area.
The North Carolina Justice Center has been in operation since 1996. Initially, The North Carolina Justice Center was the Alliance for the Protecting Older Adults, the organization’s first campaign. Today, The North Carolina Justice Center is comprised of 10 specialized programs and campaigns focused on enhancing the quality of life for underserved communities in our state. From healthcare to housing, and all of the other basic needs, The North Carolina Justice Center represents a range of issues affecting low-income North Carolina residents.
Asheville’s Affordable Housing Coalition strives for the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing (subsidized and non-subsidized) as well as the empowerment of individuals and families who know all too well how unaffordable and inaccessible housing is. Affordable Housing Coalition has been serving citizens in Asheville since 2000. This organization actively promotes policies that address the pressing need for affordable housing for low-income renters.
These legal aid organizations make a difference in the lives of thousands of North Carolina residents each year. For low-income residents of the Asheville area, these organizations are invaluable and essential for maintaining their quality of life.
Eligibility Requirements for Legal Aid in Asheville
Eligibility requirements for legal aid at the Pisgah Legal Services are based on levels of income compared to the federal poverty level. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year, around 9,028 people received free legal help and 2,648 people had their legal issues resolved. While only 69% of those served had incomes below the federal poverty guidelines, this does not mean that those at the middle income level who were turned away were not in need of legal assistance.
Income levels are dependent on family size and vary greatly. For instance, a single person making $12,492 would qualify for legal aid assistance in the 2018 poverty level (General, 2018). The threshold for a family of four, however, is set at $25,520. Households earning two to four times the poverty level do not qualify. Levels of income are reviewed every April, and it is during this time that new cutoffs for the federal fiscal year are approved (Vega, 2018). Those who apply for legal aid are not simply turned away because they don’t qualify; they are referred elsewhere for assistance that may be available to them.
Asheville legal aid serves individuals from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. This includes the following demographics: Legal aid services provide assistance to eligible individuals across Western North Carolina. Citizens from the following counties can receive assistance: Pisgah Legal Services has five offices in Western North Carolina and offers assistance in Spanish. In 2016 alone, 25 volunteer interpreters provided more than 100 hours of service (Gerald, 2016). Approximately 66% of the attorneys who volunteer with legal aid speak Spanish, and clients can schedule a telephone appointment if they are unable to visit one of the physical legal aid locations.
Applying for Legal Aid in Asheville
The process for applying for legal aid in Asheville is designed to be straightforward and accessible, ensuring that those in need can quickly get the assistance they require. The first step is to contact a legal aid organization either through their website or over the phone. In many cases, there is a short questionnaire available which assesses the applicant’s legal situation and determines if they are eligible for legal aid resources.
After making contact, the applicant will be asked a series of questions to better understand their legal needs. Key documents that may be needed during this phase include identification , proof of income, and any paperwork related to the legal issue for which they need assistance. If eligible for legal aid, the applicant will be informed of the services that can be provided and may be assigned a legal advisor who specializes in their area of concern.
Organizations may also provide information about other resources such as self-help guides, legal clinics, and workshops that can be useful for applicants. The entire process is generally free of charge and designed to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and with respect.
The Impact of Legal Aid in Asheville
Legal aid services directly benefit individuals in their time of need. However, its more widespread impact on the Asheville legal community cannot be understated. The program serves as a foundation for vulnerable communities, offering legal representation in family matters, employment, housing, and more. The overall judicial system stands to gain from legal aid as well, addressing issues and litigants that otherwise diminish the ability of courts to serve their purposes.
The economic impact of legal aid in Asheville is also noteworthy. Many families entering the judicial system are already at risk of poverty, and some may simply need a helping hand to make it through a bottleneck. Without legal aid, costly civil litigation would gain further obstacles to resolve. Families would suffer, and all related issues would trickle down — making more demands in the legal system as a whole. Fortunately, legal aid is available to offer the level of service that these families require.
Statistics and testimonials are available from organizations such as JusticeCenterWA.org, and were recently collected here in Asheville for an update on local statistics and programs. The number of pro bono lawyers and referral groups have increased in recent years, attesting to the genuine need for these legal aid programs. There are about 500 Charlotte area lawyers willing to volunteer their time and efforts to help through legal aid.
The Challenges of Legal Aid in Asheville
Despite the many benefits that legal aid provides to our community, there are a host of challenges currently facing legal aid that prevent it from being able to assist as many members of our community as it really should. One of the largest barriers is the fact that legal aid often remains an underfunded service. As a result, they’re unable to take on all of the cases that are brought to them.
Legal aid also struggles to keep up with the demand for their services. As the population of the nation continues to grow, so does the level of need for accessibility to legal services. Moreover, economic stagnation, an increase in poverty and unemployment, and the recent market meltdown have left many people and families in desperate need of legal help, but without the financial means to pay a lawyer on their own.
Another problem is that many services require a co-payment from clients who can afford them, which is then put back into the fund that supports legal aid. But an increasing number of people simply do not have the extra money to pay for those co-pays. This results in more cases going unaddressed than ever before.
Staffing is also an issue. Like most institutions in a small community, resources are limited. Funding isn’t available to hire more lawyers to take on the increased caseloads, and staff members often struggle to keep up with their current workload. This is a major cause of suffering for many people who simply cannot get the legal help that they need.
We are fortunate as a county to have access to a wonderful legal aid set in the heart of our beautiful city. Yet, we will only be able to continue to enjoy these services if we’re willing to support them in the face of their struggles.
Getting Involved and Donating to Legal Aid
As a critical resource in the advocacy and legal support communities, legal aid organizations offer considerable assistance not just for those in need, but also as a source of insight and expertise for other relevant organizations. Support for legal aid organizations comes in many forms, and the Asheville area is particularly fortunate in that a variety of excellent organizations are working hard to improve access to justice throughout the community.
Legal aid in the Asheville area is supported by the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center and the Asheville Bar Foundation. These three entities offer a wide range of volunteer, donation and advocacy opportunities that allow residents and businesses throughout the greater Asheville community to support legal aid. By doing so, they’re able to help ensure vulnerable members of their communities have access to the services needed to meet their legal needs.
Volunteering offers a great way to make a greater impact in the local community by providing invaluable support for legal aid efforts in Asheville. Volunteering opportunities come in many forms, including pro bono legal service in the case of attorneys and financial support in the case of resident and business donors.
Pro bono legal support takes on many forms. In addition to full representation, Asheville legal aid organizations offer a range of volunteer opportunities , from consulting with low-income individuals in information clinics to taking on cases in need of full representation and by acting as mentors for less experienced attorneys.
In addition to seeking volunteers for pro bono legal support, legal aid organizations throughout the Asheville area seek donations from individuals and businesses. The donations they receive make a substantial difference in the local community by helping support legal aid services and increase their reach, and by allowing legal aid organizations to invest in additional resources for those in need.
Supporting legal aid goes beyond financial contributions and offers residents and businesses an opportunity to not only support the legal needs of individuals and families, but also advocate more broadly for legal aid organizations in Asheville. Increasing awareness of legal aid issues in the community can help others recognize the importance of legal aid services in the community, as well as the impact of their assistance efforts.
Legal aid is a growing issue in communities across the country, with people in need of legal support facing an increasing number of challenges. While Asheville residents and businesses have the opportunity to continue building legal aid organizations throughout the community, their impact will depend heavily on how much financial support and other assistance they receive. Legal aid organizations continue to appreciate the support of the local community, as they work to serve vulnerable individuals and families in need of assistance.