CASES WE HANDLE

At Legal Services of the Hudson Valley,  we help poor and low income individuals and families with free non-criminal legal counsel and representation to protect their basic necessities of life. These include shelter, freedom from physical abuse, medical care, and access to legal protections and supports that are guaranteed by law, but not always provided. 

We provide free legal representation in the following areas:

HOUSING: It is our goal to prevent unlawful evictions and to reduce homelessness in our service areas. We provide legal representation and advice to tenants in eviction and foreclosure proceedings to ensure that all of a tenant’s rights are preserved. Learn more about our housing work here.

ELDER LAW: We provide a wide range of advocacy and legal representation to our elderly clients in practice areas including housing, benefits, Medicaid, permanency planning and home care cases. Find out more about our work for seniors here.

PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR THE DISABLED: We provide legal assistance to individuals with disabilities on issues such as discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Learn more about how we fight for the disabled.

PUBLIC BENEFITS:  We provide legal assistance to individuals who have been incorrectly denied or terminated from public assistance programs, including Food Stamps, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and cash assistance. Read more about our work to secure minimal income.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND SSI DISABIILTY CLAIMS:  Our Disability Advocacy Unit represents people who are filing claims for disability benefits or are appealing the termination or denial of benefits.

CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY:  We provide advocacy and legal re-presentation to children in areas including: education and special education law, disabilities advocacy, permanency planning, benefits, guardianship and housing. Find out more about how we help children here.

HIV/AIDS: We assist individuals infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS with a broad range of legal issues including disability, Medicaid/insurance, permanency planning and eviction.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Our DV Unit represents victims of domestic violence to obtain orders of protection and assists with related legal issues such as child custody and visitation. Learn more about our work for victims of domestic abuse here.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: DIVORCE PROJECT: We locate attorneys to represent victims of domestic violence in obtaining divorces at no cost.

PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED:  We provide information, referrals and legal representation to children and adults with developmental disabilities in practice areas such as Social Security/SSI, special education law, housing discrimination, rehabilitation programs, transportation and employment.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES: We assist clients who suffer from mental illness with a broad array of legal services including housing, disability and other general legal matters.

ALSO:  We give technical assistance to lawyers not affiliated with our organization to help make them more effective in representing their special needs clients. We provide education and outreach to the community and to other agencies about legal rights and how to protect them. We refer individuals who are not eligible for our services to federal, state and local agencies who may give them the help they require.

WHERE WE WORK:  We serve low-income and newly unemployed residents of: Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Orange and Rockland Counties.