Elder Law of Michigan continues to advance our mission of providing support for older adults and vulnerable populations through the successful delivery of our programs. Regrettably, due to funding issues, we must discontinue one of our long-time programs. The Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors, after almost 30 years of service to hundreds of thousands of older adults must be discontinued effective June 24, 2019.
While this was a difficult decision to reach, it was made somewhat easier knowing that Michigan legal services has another statewide legal hotline through Lakeshore Legal Aid that will be able to assist most seniors with their civil legal needs. This program can be reached at 1-888-783-8190.
Elder Law of Michigan will continue its focus on the needs of older adults through its other programs:
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Mid-America Pension Rights Project, which has recovered over $69M in retirement benefits for its clients;
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Michigan's Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE), which provides benefits education, screening, and application assistance, assisting older adults in Michigan secure SNAP benefits to purchase over 20M meals; and
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Michigan Elder Justice Coordinating Council, which provides technical support and facilitates collaboration on efforts to address the growing problem of elder abuse in local communities and at the state level.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors over these many years. If you have any questions or need assistance from one of these programs, please call Elder Law of Michigan at 1-866-400-9164.
Michigan has a wide array of legal resources available online, 24/7. These resources can help individuals when they need assistance or are seeking answers to basic legal questions. These resources do not provide legal advice and are not a substitute for having a lawyer.
MichiganLegalHelp.Org
The Michigan Legal Help website was created to help people who have to handle simple civil legal problems without a lawyer. There are articles you can read to learn about a specific area of the law and toolkits to help you prepare to represent yourself in court. Some forms are completed automatically once you answer simple questions. The Michigan Legal Help website does not provide legal advice, and it is not a substitute for having a lawyer.
The Michigan Legal Help website and affiliated local self-help centers are part of the Michigan Legal Help Program. The Program works with judges, courts, lawyers, bar associations, nonprofit legal aid agencies, legal self-help centers, libraries and many others to promote coordinated and quality assistance for persons representing themselves in civil legal matters in Michigan.
Michigan State Court Approved Forms
The Trial Court Services Division of the State Court Administrative Office is responsible for developing, revising, approving, and distributing court forms. Part of this process includes review and recommendation by the Michigan Court Forms Committee. The committee is comprised of ten works groups that include representatives from trial court associations, sections of the State Bar of Michigan, and state departments or agencies. The work groups meet annually to discuss requests for new forms and suggestions to revise existing forms received by the Trial Court Services Division.
State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service
The State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is designed to assist members of the public who want to hire an attorney and can afford to pay for legal services. If you have a legal problem and cannot afford to hire an attorney, please contact Elder Law of Michigan at 866.400.9164.
Access to Bankruptcy Court
With the worldwide economic down turn in recent years, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has seen a substantial increase in individuals filing for bankruptcy who simply cannot afford attorneys. Access to Bankruptcy Court is a nonprofit corporation formed to provide representation to low income individuals who are filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Access to Bankruptcy Court uses tax-deductible donations to directly pay experienced consumer bankruptcy attorneys at a reduced rate to represent debtors at no cost to the debtors