HelpLine is here to help those in need of urgent legal help. To qualify, you must call about a civil matter; criminal issues (such as traffic tickets) and fee-generating cases (such as those involving personal injury) are not acceptable reasons to call Helpline. You must also be an Arkansan who falls within our income guidelines.
If you are unsure about whether your case qualifies or you meet the eligibility requirements, here are a few good things to know.
1. Eligible Issues and Types of Cases
Consumer matters
Contract disputes
Debt relief
Disability rights
Domestic abuse
Employment rights
End-of-life instructions
Evictions
Garnishments
Guardianships
Landlord and tenant disputes
Orders of protection
Powers of attorney
Public benefits (Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, Transitional Employment Assistance [TEA], Supplemental Security Income [SSI], child care, and subsidized housing)
Wills
Types of Cases
We provide free civil legal services (non-criminal cases). There are many types of civil cases we handle.
Some examples by topic:
family law: adoptions, custody, visitation, guardianships
elder law: garnish of social security, housing issues
consumer or debt: bankruptcies, debt collection defense
public benefits: SSI appeals
housing law: landlord-tenant, public housing cases, foreclosures
other non-criminal issues
Depending on your case and those funding them, income guidelines must be adhered to by the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc. Below are several thresholds based on a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level. Most cases must fall within the first threshold (125% of FPL), but there are exceptions. Questions about qualification should be directed to the Helpline (see sidebar box).
Persons in Houshold1 |
Federal Poverty Line(FPL) |
125% of FPL(Common Threshold) |
200% of FPL(Rare Threshold) |
1 |
$11,880 |
$14,850 |
$23,760 |
2 |
$16,020 |
$20,025 |
$32,040 |
3 |
$20,160 |
$25,200 |
$40,320 |
4 |
$24,300 |
$30,375 |
$48,600 |
5 |
$28,440 |
$35,550 |
$56,880 |
6 |
$32,580 |
$40,725 |
$65,160 |
7 |
$36,730 |
$45,913 |
$73,460 |
For each additional member: |
+$4,160 |
+$5,200 |
+$8,320 |
Wages and salary before deductions
Income from self-employment
Government benefits (such as Social Security, Social Security Disability, and Suplemental Security Income; veterans and unemployment benefits; and workers' compensation)
Child support
Alimony
Military family allotments
Private and public pension benefits
Insurance or annuity payments
Income from dividends, interest, rent, or royalties
Payments from estates or trusts
Any other cash benefit or regular or recurring sources of financial support
To be best prepared, have handy some income verification, such as bank statement or recent tax returns.
While the Center for Arkansas Legal Services and Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc., may take on the legal cases of groups (including corporations and associations), each person in the group must be eligible under the following LSC code: 45 CFR Part 1611, while also proving that it both lacks, and has no practical means of obtaining, funds to retain private counsel.