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Legal Assistance for Individuals with Low Income

This legal services program is funded through the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). The LSC is a private, non-profit corporation established by the federal government to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it. LSC was created in 1974 and is funded through congressional appropriation.

Program Priorities

GLSC-DLC’s Governing Board of Directors have adopted the following LSC Program Priorities regarding the types of cases and matters to which GLSC-DLC staff is authorized to devote its time and resources:

• PROTECTION OF THE PERSON: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to the immediate protection of the person from abuse and neglect.

• FAMILY LAW: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to custody, divorce, child support, guardianship over minors, and powers of attorney for child care.

• PUBLIC BENEFITS: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to food stamps administrative hearings and appeals, TANF or other welfare appeals.

• HOUSING: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to problems involving emergency loss of shelter. Examples include: eviction prevention, illegal lockouts, utility shutoffs, housing conditions, home ownership (the client, without legal intervention, would lose the family home).

• EDUCATION: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to legal issues surrounding education.

• HEALTH CARE: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to legal issues surrounding health care.

• JUVENILE/EDUCATION & CHILD PROTECTIVE PROCEEDINGS: Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to cases involving minors who have been brought within the juvenile court system due to lack of appropriate educational services, abuse, neglect or other systemic issues.

• CONSUMER LAW:Efforts will be made to assist clients and conduct activities related to legal issues surrounding collection procedures and fraudulent schemes. Legal assistance may include counsel and advice or brief services when a client can proceed pro se (without an attorney) or more extensive services when an opposing attorney is involved.

Eligibility

GLSC-DLC receives federal funds to provide civil legal services to low-income individuals from Legal Services Corporation (LSC). In addition to meeting other requirements, applicants are required to FINANCIALLY QUALIFY based on HOUSEHOLD INCOME & ASSETS. Generally, the INCOME of an applicant’s household MAY NOT EXCEED 125% of the current Official Federal Poverty Guidelines. Additionally, household assets may not exceed $2500 per person and $1500 for each additional household member.

Table: Legal Services Corporation 2011 Income Guidelines

Other factors considered when determining eligibility include:

• Whether you are a Guam resident;

• Whether you are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien

• Whether you would be eligible for services in the Freely Associated States (FSM)

• The type of legal service you are requesting*;

• Whether conflicts of interest apply to your case.

* GLSC-DLC does not provide representation in criminal matters or in matters where the client is seeking monetary compensation.

Are there any costs for legal services?

Under the LSC program, there is no charge to clients for legal services. However, clients are responsible for paying fees associated with their case. Examples of fees include those for filing documents in court, publishing notices, or recording documents with government agencies. If a client is unable to pay these fees, we can work with the client to determine if the fees can be waived.

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Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program

The Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program, authorized in 1994 under the Violence Against Women Act, funds projects that address the legal needs of survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. GLSC-DLC is able to provide civil legal representation for emergency protection orders. Other services include safety planning, in-house referrals to appropriate GLSC-DLC programs as well as referrals to other agencies, like its project partner Victim Advocates Reaching Out (VARO), for services such as emergency shelter, individual/family counseling.

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Disability Law Center

In 1999, GLSC-DLC became the designated Protection and Advocacy Office for Guam. As such, GLSC-DLC Disability Law Center (DLC) is Guam's Protection and Advocacy agency mandated to promote and protect the legal and human rights of individuals with physical and/or mental disability.

Eligibility

To qualify for any of the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs in the GLSC-DLC DLC, a person must have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the legal issue for which help is sought must be related to the disability. Likewise, the issue cannot be raised for financial gain and cannot be fee-generating. The issue must fall within certain priorities and may be limited by available resources, the existence of other programs that can address the applicant’s issue, and the potential effect on the person’s life, health, and safety. These eligibility factors apply across all P&A programs. In addition, there cannot be a conflict of interest applicable to the parties involved.

Programs

Under the Protection and Advocacy programs, there is no charge to clients for legal services. However, clients are responsible for paying fees associated with their case (for example: court-filing fees, notice publication fees, and documents recording fees with government agencies). If a client is unable to pay these fees, GLSC can work with the client to determine if the fees can be waived.

• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)
  The first of such programs is the program for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), which assists individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental illness or emotional impairment. The PAIMI program monitors and investigates abuse and neglect in facilities and group homes that care for or treat individuals with mental illness and provides representation at fair hearings for government benefits and adult legal guardianships.

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• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) assists individuals who have a developmental disability. A developmental disability is a life-long disability that manifests itself before age 22 and is attributed to mental and/or physical impairments. The PADD program priorities include legal advocacy for appropriate special education services and care and treatment in the least restrictive environment. Many of the same services with PAIMI are available for PADD clients.

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• Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR) assists individuals with disabilities who are not eligible for services under the PADD or PAIMI programs, such as those with physical disabilities acquired as an adult. Services include advocacy in regards to personal decision making powers and assisting in delegating these powers when appropriate.

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• Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT) assists individuals with disabilities in accessing technology devices and assistive technology services through advocacy and legal representation.

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• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) provides information, referral and advocacy services to individuals who face a loss of legal rights as a direct result of TBI.

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• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS) assists beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) with issues related to securing or regaining gainful employment. This includes information and referral, consultation and legal representation when necessary, and advocacy related to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Implementation Act (TWWIIA).

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• Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA)
  The program for the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) is meant to ensure that individuals with disabilities can have full participation in the electoral process. This includes registering to vote, casting a vote, and accessing polling places. The priorities under the PAVA program include educational outreach and advocacy.

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Partners

The GLSC-DLC is one of the three (3) organizations that make up the Guam Developmental Disabilities (DD) Network. Guam DD Network partners include:

• Guam Legal Services Corporation – Disability Law Center

• Guam Developmental Disabilities Council

• University of Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UOG-CEDDERS).

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About GLSC-DLC

Guam Legal Services Corporation – Disability Law Center (GLSC-DLC) is a private, non-profit corporation that was established in 1979. It began receiving congressional appropriations in 1981, which allowed the corporation to provide legal representation to the low-income community of Guam. GLSC-DLC is not a part of the Government of Guam or the federal government. It is governed by a board of directors consisting of attorneys and program eligible persons. Since 1981, GLSC-DLC has expanded into programs assisting vulnerable populations including survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. Significantly, in 1999 GLSC-DLC was designated the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) System for Guam. This means GLSC-DLC is authorized under applicable federal and local laws to protect and promote the human, civil and legal rights of individuals with mental illness and/or developmental and other disabilities through legally based advocacy. Thus, GLSC-DLC became the Disability Law Center. GLSC-DLC cannot provide representation in criminal matters or in matters where the client is seeking monetary compensation.

Our Boards and Governance

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Our Administrators and Staff

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For further information about Lawhelp/GU, contact us at information@guamlsc.org.

Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center
113 Bradley Place, Hagatna, Guam 96910
Tel: (671) 477-9811/2 or (671) 922-4571~4
TDD/TTY: (671) 477-3416
Fax: (671) 477-1320

Hours of Operation
8AM - 5PM Mon-Fri
Closed on weekends and GovGuam holidays.