We help people with civil legal problems. We do not handle criminal cases, except for record expungements. Our funders, our board of directors, and our client community help us set priorities for the types of cases we should handle. Below are examples of the types of cases we often handle. This list is not complete. To learn about our services and find out if we are able to assist with your legal issue, please contact us.

 

Services:

Family Law

Our primary goals are ensuring safety and maintaining stable family relationships.
Cases accepted include:
  • Divorce for survivors of domestic violence
  • In special circumstances, divorce to ensure income maintenance and equitable property division
  • Defense of custody for natural custodial parents within divorce, custody, support, and paternity cases
  • Defense of natural parents’ rights in minor guardianship cases
  • Personal Protection Order representation

Housing

Our primary goals are preventing homelessness, maintaining housing stability and access, and improving housing safety and quality.
Cases accepted include:
  • Eviction defense
  • Representing clients facing loss of a federal housing subsidy or denied access to a federal housing subsidy
  • Challenging mortgage foreclosures and predatory mortgage lending and servicing practices
  • Challenging land contract forfeitures and option contracts
  • Mobile home park litigation
  • Tax forfeiture defense
  • Challenging unfair housing practices

Public Benefits

Our primary goals are income maintenance, food security, and health care access.
Cases accepted include:
  • Representation in SSI appeals for individuals eligible for State Disability Assistance or receiving State Disability Assistance, cessation cases, and overpayment cases
  • Representation in administrative hearings/appeals regarding denial or loss of cash assistance, food assistance, child daycare assistance, Medicaid/CHIP assistance, home health benefits, and unemployment benefits (including fraud allegations)

Consumer Matters

Our primary goal is protecting client income and resources from scams, creditor abuses, and other unfair practices.
Cases accepted include:
  • Defense of debt collection actions
  • Bankruptcy for eligible debtors with special circumstances
  • Litigation regarding consumer purchases, student loans, debt assignments, utilities and collection tactics

Tax

Our primary goal is preserving client income and assets.
Cases accepted include:
  • Tax controversies with the IRS

Individual Rights

Our primary goal is to remove barriers to employment and housing caused by criminal records or offender registries.
Cases accepted include:
  • Criminal record expungements
  • Sex offender registry removal petitions
  • Child abuse registry removal hearings

If Legal Aid of Western Michigan is not able to represent you, or for further information and self-help tools to assist with your legal issue, visit MichiganLegalHelp.org

MichiganLegalHelp.org

Meet our lawyers

We have a dedicated staff of more than 30 lawyers plus support staff located at 5 offices throughout West Michigan.

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Legal Aid of Western Michigan

  • Grand Rapids

    (Kent, Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm & Osceola)

    25 Division Ave S, Ste 300
    Grand Rapids, MI 49503

  • Kalamazoo

    (Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph y Van Buren)

    141 E. Michigan Ave., Suite 400
    Kalamazoo, MI 49007

  • Holland

    (Allegan y Ottawa)

    115 Clover Ave, Suite 101
    Holland, MI 49423

  • Muskegon

    (Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo & Oceana)

    450 Morris Ave, Ste 104
    Muskegon, MI 49440

  • St. Joseph

    (Berrien)

    901 Port St
    St. Joseph, MI 49085