Legal Resources in Virginia Beach Explained
With a growing population and a stable economy, the need for accessible legal support has never been more vital. In this section, we will explore the various resources that are available to the residents of our coastal city and the greater Hampton Roads region.
A pivotal role in providing legal assistance falls upon governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Virginia State Bar (VSB) is perhaps the most prominent of the legal aid societies, offering a wide array of services to both attorneys and the general public. VSB seeks to ensure access to the judicial system for low-income people in Virginia. Virginia Legal Aid Society (VAS) is another key player in ensuring that low-income families and individuals have access to essential legal services and resources.
Additionally, the City of Virginia Beach operates a Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation (DHNP). This department administers the Home Rehabilitation Program designed to assist low-income, elderly, and disabled homeowners struggling with health and safety issues in their homes . The DHNP works with local legal aid programs to ensure that residents seeking legal counsel for issues related to housing, credit, or government benefits have the necessary resources to get the help they need.
For those without access to legal counsel, pro bono legal aid programs offer a way to handle legal issues at no cost. The VSB has a database of statewide pro bono programs that can be accessed via their website. Furthermore, the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association also run a pro bono project that addresses legal needs within the surrounding counties. Other resources include the volunteer lawyer programs from the Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia which are volunteer-based and aim to meet the legal needs of those who cannot afford quality legal assistance.
As you can see, Virginia Beach provides a comprehensive range of both governmental and non-governmental organisations that work in tandem with local legal professionals to meet the legal needs of every resident.
Connecting with Legal Aid Services
Virginia Beach, like other cities across the Commonwealth of Virginia, has a number of law firms and religious organizations that provide pro bono legal services or free legal aid services in Virginia Beach. These organizations generally assist those with financial need and income restrictions. The following is a list of organizations that might be able to help you:
- Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (1251 LaSalle Ave., Norfolk, VA 23502; (757) 461-6100): Legal Aid Society of Eastern VA provides affordable consumer, domestic, employment, and housing legal representation to people who qualify financially. A person’s household income can’t exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty line, and a person’s assets can’t have a value greater than $10,000.
- Manna, Inc. (4900 West Avenue, Newport News, VA 23605; (757) 928-0094): Provides food, clothing, medical care, legal assistance, and housing assistance for people in crisis in Hampton Roads.
- United Methodist Family Services (3204 Schipps Ln., Richmond, VA 23225; (804) 355-2506): Provides a statewide network of services to promote preservation of families through home and community-based counseling services and family foster care, mental health services, and private adoption services.
- Lawyers Helping Lawyers of Tidewater (P.O. Box 29580, Norfolk, VA 23529; (757) 615-2243): Robert R Duvall, a licensed attorney conducts all of the semis and retreats for Lawyers Helping Lawyers. This organization focuses on providing individually tailored assistance to attorneys/employees who are struggling with alcohol/drug abuse, stress, depression, etc. The law office will strive to provide lists of resources available through community and state agencies with these kinds of resources offered in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Newport News as well as Virginia Beach.
Free Legal Support in Virginia Beach
Pro bono legal support refers to the professional assistance lawyers and law firms provide for free to those in need of representation, generally those who cannot afford to pay legal fees. In Virginia Beach, there are a number of local law firms and/or individual attorneys who offer pro bono to the members of the community. Some of the most well-known legal aid societies—the societies that manage pro bono cases—include the following:
As with any other legal service, clients must meet certain criteria to qualify for and receive pro bono support. Some of the factors clients must take into consideration include:
To access pro bono legal support in Virginia Beach, those in need should contact any of the above legal aid societies to see if they might qualify for such an opportunity. Clients can visit their websites or contact their offices directly.
Virginia Beach Court Resources and Information
In addition to the many legal resources available on the Internet, Virginia Beach residents have access to several court-related facilities with valuable information about the legal system. The Virginia Beach Circuit Court in Virginia Beach, Virginia, houses the Clerk’s Office and also a Self-Help Center where individuals may obtain information about legal procedures and obtain forms for certain kinds of cases. Virginia Beach has no General District Court. The Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court is located in nearby Norfolk, which is somewhat of an inconvenience for court patrons and users of the court system.
There are several "self-help" legal websites available. These sites include the National Center for State Courts (http://www.ncsconline.org). The Virginia Online Forms website (http://www.courts.state.va.us/forms.html) provides free access to Virginia Circuit Court, General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Supreme Court forms. The site also contains explanations of when and how to use these forms. The forms are in PDF format and can be printed directly from the website.
Much accurate and useful legal information is available from the Virginia State Bar (VSB) as well as useful links to secondary sources. The VSB is the regulatory and administrative body comprising all licensed attorneys in Virginia. Its Website (http://www.vsb.org) provides legal help for the public, including a Virginia Lawyer Referral Service (VRLS) and lawyers who are in good standing with the bar. The website also provides links to online legal research sites, a lawyer search tool for the public to use to find a lawyer, and news from the bar and a section titled "For the Public" with explanatory and informational materials relating to legal issues. The free hotlines include a Lawyer Referral Service, a "Operation of Law Internet Legal Clinic" for veterans, and a "Lawyer Fee Dispute Resolution" program.
LawHelp.org is a similar website offering information and assistance in obtaining legal help (http://www.lawhelp.org). It offers a number of forms and self-help guides.
Specific forms and links to other useful information and forms for Virginia may also be found at a few additional sources:
The local rules for the Virginia Beach circuit court also are available online in PDF format. The Virginia Beach General District Court Rules are not available online. However, its Local Court Rules are available at the following address: http://courts.state.va.us/district/gd7localrules.html.
In addition to all these online resources, the Virginia state government manages a statewide telephone-based self-help service known as "Virginia Legal Aid". Virginia citizens in need of legal assistance but who cannot afford a private attorney may contact "Legal Aid," a program of the Federation of Virginia Food Banking, by calling 1-866-LEGLAID. Another option for low-income Virginians seeking a lawyer is the Virginia Lawyer Referral Service.
Non-Profit Legal Assistance in Virginia Beach
Several non-profit organizations throughout Virginia Beach offer legal support at little or no cost. These organizations often focus on specific demographics and are funded via charitable donations as well as grants. While many of these groups focus on helping low-income individuals, others assist youth and those who suffer from addiction.
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia, Inc. The VA Legal Aid Society serves all seven cities throughout Hampton Roads. The group provides individuals with free legal representation in matters pertaining to family law, immigration, and housing. The Legal Aid Society assists pro bono attorneys in getting their clients’ needs addressed while significantly lessening the workload on the judicial system. The group works with clients to determine if they’re eligible for assistance, what the legal matter entails, and then what sort of services the client requires. They also handle requests for emergency matters and criminal cases that are considered low-level offenses. Some of the civil matters dealt with by the Legal Aid Society include: They also provide some minor criminal legal advice.
Virginia Legal Aid Society in Newport News The VA Legal Aid Society’s Newport News office works to "reduce poverty and enhance self-sufficiency by empowering clients through advocacy and education," according to the organization’s website. Their free services are offered to low-income families and veterans throughout Hampton Roads. Offices in Newport News , Norfolk, and Virginia Beach work in conjunction with one another. Volunteers with the law society assist clients with case processing, and they also run a seniors’ hotline that offers seniors 60 and older legal advice.
Southeastern Virginia Legal Aid Society This society aims to "provide equal and necessary access to justice for low-income individuals and families in the communities we serve," their website states. They do this by providing legal guidance for low-income families across Virginia. Their offices in Newport News also service the cities of Hampton, Poquoson, and Williamsburg. They work to help low-income individuals and families with housing problems, family matters, debt issues, and some criminal matters. The legal aid office in Newport News provides training and education on various topics, assisting community members in understanding specific legal matters. The group also works to connect clients with other legal aid society offices that can assist with their particular issue.
Children’s Home Society The CHS assists youth who are either in trouble with the law, homeless, or in difficult situations that require intervention. The group employs case management services, counseling, and mediation to help youth find a way out of adversity or crime. They work to keep kids out of the courts, connect them with caregivers, and provide advice on adoption processes. The group also works to refer youths to area job centers.
Community Legal Workshops and Clinics
For those looking to gain a deeper understanding of their legal rights and duties, the Virginia Bar Association is the premier organization that runs numerous workshops and seminars. For example, the Virginia Bar Association’s Elder Law Section provides informational sessions about estate planning to residents throughout Virginia Beach, including free legal advice to seniors at the Princess Anne Library. The Virginia Beach Bar Association also offers estate planning documents, like wills, to those in financial distress.
In addition, Virginia Beach City Attorney’s Office provides legal education materials on its website, which contains a variety of information on many different areas of the law, from child support to the Freedom of Information Act.
The Virginia Beach Department of Cooperative Extension regularly holds classes that deal with topics such as credit repair, parenting, employment training and other legal issues that members of the community may face.
Online Virginia Beach Legal Resources and Listings
For many, the first source of legal information is the internet. Online, potential clients can educate themselves on various legal matters, access online directories to find the contacts they need, and in some cases even receive legal advice. Here are some useful online legal resources and directories that residents of Virginia Beach can use to answer questions and schedule virtual consultations:
Free legal resources
Free online legal resources are primarily offered by state bar associations. Virginia Beach residents can turn to "Virginia Law Help" for guidance on basic legal practices in the state. Created by the Virginia State Bar Association, this resource is designed to educate citizens about common problems and strategies they could use to solve them. Virginia Law Help hosts a variety of self-help legal tools, such as interactive interviews, videos, and links to legal forms .
Online legal directories
Legal databases and directories are index of lawyers and their law firms that users can sort and filter by area of expertise. Users can add filters such as location, specialty, language, client rating and more, or make a search based on the name of the desired lawyer or law firm. In addition, they can read and leave reviews for lawyers. Here are several online legal directories Virginia Beach residents can use to find the right legal representative:
Legal services with virtual consultation options
As technology continues to shape the legal industry, Virginia Beach residents have an impressive range of online legal services at their disposal. Secure and encrypted video communication allows lawyers to carefully assess every case from afar, so they can offer a high-quality service without increasing the cost of representation. Here are some of the most common virtual legal services Virginia Beach inhabitants can use: