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DPLS can assist you only if
you meet financial eligibility guidelines and if
your case is the type of case which our Board of
Directors has identified as a program priority.
Within our broad program priorities, each DPLS
branch office has its own case acceptance
guidelines, so that each office can focus on the
particular needs of their service area. You
should understand that DPLS’ limited resources
may prevent us from taking some cases, even
though the case is one identified as a program
priority. Please apply to the branch office
serving your county or reservation regarding
their case acceptance guidelines and whether
they have the ability to accept your case.
Legal Services Corporation regulations also
place restrictions on the type of work DPLS can
do. For example, these regulations prohibit
DPLS from filing class actions, collecting
attorney fees, representing prisoners in civil
actions, representing people in drug-related
public housing evictions, and representing
certain categories of immigrants. With a few
exceptions, DPLS will not be able to assist you
if you have a “fee generating case,” such as a
case seeking recovery of money damages.
DPLS PRIORITIES:
Indian
Law
Family
Law
-
adoption
- custody/visitation
- divorce
- guardianship
- name change (limited to
advice & referral only)
- parental rights termination
- paternity
- spouse abuse
- support (in court representation of obligees
in
state court child support cases are only undertaken
in
special
circumstances after review and approval
by a
managing attorney)
- other family
- juvenile court cases will
only be accepted when
DPLS is court appointed
Criminal
Defense
-
LSC regulations (45 CFR Secs. 1613.3 and
1613.4) permit representation in a criminal
proceeding in state or federal court only
pursuant to court appointment or when required
by professional responsibility in a case in
which DPLS is already representing the client.
This restriction does not apply in tribal court,
so DPLS can provide criminal defense
representation in tribal courts. However, if
the tribal court system in question has a
separate public defender’s office, you should
seek representation from that office.
Health
-
medicaid
- medicare
- other health
Housing
-
federally subsidized housing rights
- homeownership/real property
- landlord/tenant (other
than public housing)
- other public housing
- other housing
Income
Maintenance
- AFDC/other welfare
- black lung
- food stamps/commodities
- social security
- SSI
- unemployment compensation
- veterans benefits
- workers compensation
- other income maintenance
Education
Economic
Development Assistance and Incorporation
Consumer/Finance
-
collection (including repossession / deficiency
garnishment)
- contracts/warranties
- credit access
- energy (other than public
utilities)
- loans/installment purchase
(other than collection)
- public utilities
- unfair sales practices
- other consumer/finance
Individual Rights and other Civil Rights Matters
-
mental health
- physically disabled
rights
- other individual rights
Wills/Estates
- simple wills
- durable powers of attorney for health care
- financial powers of
attorney
- probate cases in tribal
and state court
- Indian wills
Miscellaneous
- license (auto & other)
- other miscellaneous
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