Can I qualify for any assistance if I work



Who we are

Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing high quality legal advice and representation to low-income people in all 92 Indiana counties.

Who is eligible for services?

Applicants must have a family income less than 125% of the poverty level, or have work or other extraordinary expenses that bring their income below this level. Some of the ILS projects also serve certain clients whose income is higher than this level.

Individuals who are 60 years of age or older are eligible for help in counties covered by ILS’ Senior Law Projects.

How to apply for help

Applicants must first call or go to one of the ILS offices during intake hours. The office hours for each branch are listed on the back of this pamphlet. For emergencies, applicants should call right away.

During intake, applicants give information about their income, household size and legal problem. This information is confidential.

ILS contacts each applicant a few days after the intake to tell her or him whether or not ILS will provide representation.

How we can help

ILS provides free legal advice and legal representation to individual clients in non-criminal cases. ILS represents clients in administrative hearings as well as in state and federal trial and appellate courts. ILS does not have resources to represent every applicant. Therefore, ILS often gives advice to clients to help them resolve problems on their own. ILS also responds to invitations from community groups and service providers to speak to groups of low-income people about their legal rights.

Types of cases accepted by ILS

➢ Housing, such as eviction, foreclosure and landlord/tenant;

➢ Public Benefits, such as food stamps, SSI, unemployment, poor relief and TANF;

➢ Health, including Medicaid and Medicare;

➢ Divorce or child custody cases where there is child abuse or spouse abuse;

➢ Consumer, such as collections and repossessions;

➢ Education, including expulsion and access to special education services, and Vocational Rehabilitation;

➢ Employment support, including access to childcare and transportation when needed for employment;

➢ Access to justice, such as the denial of a court-appointed attorney in certain civil cases

Special projects

In addition to the assistance provided by statewide offices, ILS is also involved in a number of Special Projects. These include:

➢ Community/Economic

Development Project

Works with community groups and resources to assist in community/economic development for low-income people. Also provides legal counseling and representation in such areas as housing and access to health care. Located in the Indianapolis office, its staff serves clients statewide.

➢ Consumer Law Center

Assists clients in consumer law matters, including repossessions, debt collection, access to credit and unfair sales practices. The CLC helps ensure that all ILS offices have the capacity to represent clients in these complex consumer law cases. Located in the New Albany office, its staff serves clients statewide.

➢ Immigrants’ & Language Rights Center

Represents clients with limited English proficiency and whose legal problems arise from, or are complicated by, the language barrier or national origin. Immigration issues are specifically addressed. Located in the Indianapolis office, its staff serves clients statewide.

➢ Homeless Legal Project

Provides specialized representation on a range of issues to homeless clients. Its staff is located in the Indianapolis office.

➢ Housing Law Center

Assists clients to gain access and/or preserve safe, affordable housing by means of individual cases, education, training and collaboration with local, state, and national groups. Issues include predatory lending, lead paint, subsidized and fair housing. Located in the Bloomington office, its staff serves clients statewide.

Indiana Justice Center

Works with other legal aid providers, the private bar, the judiciary, law schools and client groups. The IJC seeks to develop a State Justice Community in which all of these groups work together to ensure access to justice for poor people in Indiana.

➢ Migrant Farmworker Law Center

Provides legal assistance to Indiana’s approximate 12,000 migrant farm workers, and focuses on issues related to employment. Located in the Indianapolis office, its staff serves clients statewide.

Low-Income Taxpayers Clinic

Located in Bloomington, the LITC helps low-income persons throughout Indiana to resolve diverse federal tax controversies, including tax exams, appeals, audit reconsiderations and representation in the U.S. Tax Court. It assists taxpayers experiencing collection actions that have included IRS levies on wages, bank accounts and Social Security benefits. The LITC helps “non-filers” come into compliance.

➢ Medical-Legal Partnerships

Working with medical staff and social workers at the Midtown Community Mental Health Center, part of Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, patients are referred to ILS for legal help with their Medicaid appeals. At Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, eligible families receive legal counsel on matters impacting their child’s health.

➢ Pro Bono Projects

ILS works with each of Indiana’s 12 Judicial District Pro Bono Committees. The coordinators in these districts recruit private attorneys to provide legal services to clients at no charge.

➢ Military Assistance Project

Helps low-income military members, veterans, and their dependents resolve civil legal issues including VA and other public benefits, upgrading military discharges; family law matters, e.g. child support; consumer law; housing, i.e. ADA-related issues; and criminal records issues, i.e. sealing records to help secure employment. MAP is located in the Indianapolis office.

➢ Senior Law Projects

Specializes in elder law issues with support from Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging. The SLP handles different cases, including Social Security/SSI, Medicaid, Medicare, guardianship, housing, advance directives, and consumer rights. It also acts as the nursing home Ombudsman. Operating in several ILS branch offices and coordinated through the Indianapolis SLP.

ILS BRANCH OFFICES

Bloomington: Serving Bartholomew, Brown, Clay, Greene, Jackson, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan and Vigo counties.

Phone: (812) 339-7668/ (800) 822-4774

Intake: Mon. - Family Law Only - 2:00-3:00 pm

Tues.1:30– 2:30 pm; Thurs. 10:00-11:00 am

Columbus (age 60 and over): Serving Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties.

Phone: (812) 372-6918, ext. 2760

(866) 644-6407, ext. 2760

Evansville: Serving Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Martin, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties.

Phone: (812) 426-1295/ (800) 852-3477

Intake: Tues. 11:00 am-1:00 pm;

Wed. 9:00-11:00 am

Fort Wayne: Serving Adams, Allen, Blackford, Dekalb, Grant, Huntington, Jay, Steuben, Wells and Whitley counties.

Phone: (260) 424-9155/ (888) 442-8600

Intake: Tues, Wed, & Thurs 9 - 11am & by appt.

Merrillville: Serving Jasper, Lake, Newton and Porter counties.

Phone: (219) 738-6040/ (888) 255-5104

Intake: Mon. & Wed. 9:00 -10:00 am by apt.

Tues. 9:00-10:00 am (by phone)

Indianapolis: Serving Boone, Decatur, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Union and Wayne counties.

Phone: (317) 631-9410/ (800) 869-0212

Intake: Telephone Only

Mon. – Fri. 10:00 am-2:00 pm

1-844-243-8570

Lafayette: Serving Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Fountain, Howard, Miami, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Wabash, Warren and White counties.

Phone: (765) 423-5327/ (800) 382-7581

Intake: Mon. – Fri. 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Mon. – Fri. 1:00 – 4:00 pm

New Albany: Serving Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Floyd, Harrison, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, Scott, Switzerland and Washington counties.

Phone: (800) 945-4123/ (800) 892-2776

Intake: Mon 9:00-11:00 am (general)

Thurs 9:00-11:00 am (divorce)

South Bend: Serving Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall, Noble, Pulaski, St. Joseph and Starke counties.

Phone: (574) 234-8121/ (800) 288-8121

Intake: Mon – Fri. 9:00 am -12:00 pm;

Mon. - Fri. 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Consumer Law Center: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (812) 945-4123/ (800) 892-2776

Community & Economic Development Project: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (317) 631-9410/ (800) 869-0212

Housing Law Center: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (812) 339-7668/ (812) 822-4774

Immigrants’ & Language Rights Center: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (866)964-2138

Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (812)339-7668/ (800) 822-4774

Migrant Farmworker Law Center: Serving all Indiana

Phone: (317) 536-1389/ (800) 869-3505

INDIANA LEGAL SERVICES, INC.

Providing free

legal representation

and advice

to low-income people

in noncriminal cases.

Spanish-speaking staff available.

Se habla Español

Visit our website at:

ILS Administration:

151 N. Delaware Street, Suite 1850

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(317) 631-9410 or 1-800-869-0212

TDD: (317) 631-9436

Legal Services Corporation

America’s Partner for Equal Justice

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