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Legal Assistance
Paternity Testing for Child Support - Circuit Court Clerk's Office
Location: 175 Main St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 410-535-1600, ext. 2426
Website: www.calvertcountymd.gov/3725/Circuit-Court
Days and Hours of Testing: Second Wednesday of each month, 9 a.m. – until completed
Cost:
- $25.00 application fee
- $32.00 per person
Affidavit of Parentage:
- If not completed at hospital, Calvert County Support Enforcement Office may assist parents with Affidavit of Parentage form at 200 Duke Street, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.
Court House Walk-In Self-Help Clients - Calvert County Circuit Court
Location: 175 Main St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 410-535-1600, ext. 2516
Website: www.mdcourts.gov/clerks/calvert/familyservices
Free legal consultation by a local family law attorney for those in need of legal advice and assistance with completing court forms for family law issues.
Clinic Hours: Wednesdays from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
You must complete a brief intake at the Family Services Office on the first floor of the circuit courthouse. Intake begins at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Employer Support of Guard and Reserve
Location: 4800 Mark Center Dr., Alexandria, VA 22350
Phone: 800-336-4590
Email: OSD.USERRA@mail.mil
Website: www.esgr.mil
Helps resolve disputes or answer questions about employment-related problems and helps Reservists and Guardsmen and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
ESGR offers a Statement of Support program that allows employers to sign a pledge to support the military service of their employees and a progressive awards program so you can nominate a supportive supervisor or employer for support that goes above and beyond what is required by law.
Works to create a culture in which all American employers value the military service of their employees in an effort to limit any issues between employers and Service members. When issues do arise, ESGR offers free, neutral mediation and information on what the law requires.
Federal Bonding
Phone: 410-767-2173
Email: dldwdworkforcedevelopment-labor@maryland.gov
Website: www.labor.maryland.gov/employment/reentry.shtml
The mission of the Federal Bonding Program (FBP) is to give employers peace of mind by bonding job candidates considered to be higher risk. There are not out of pocket expenses for the employer because FBP bonds are provided free of charge and carry a $0 deductible.
The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding for the first six months of employment for hard-to-place job applicants. Learn how this program can help you if you are facing barriers to employment.
For more information about resources in your area, contact the American Job Center nearest you.
Maryland Courts
Website: www.mdcourts.gov/courts/about
Visit the website for an overview about Maryland Courts.
Ask a Librarian: Law Library of Congress
Location: 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540
Phone: 202-707-5079
Website: ask.loc.gov
Legal and legislative research assistance for foreign, international, federal, and state law, and answers to queries requiring resources unique to the Library of Congress.
Response provided within five business days.
Family Law Assistance - Calvert County Circuit Court
Location: 175 Main St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 410-535-1600, ext. 2516
Website: www.mdcourts.gov/clerks/calvert/familyservices
Free legal consultation by a local family law attorney for those in need of legal advice and assistance with completing court forms for family law issues.
Clinic Hours: Wednesdays 12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
You must complete a brief intake at the Family Services Office on the first floor of the circuit courthouse. Intake begins at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Family Law Hotline
Phone: 1-800-845-8550
The Women’s Law Center’s free hotline answers questions about family law. The hotline is staffed by an experienced attorney. While the hotline attorney cannot represent you in court, he or she will provide basic information to help you understand your rights and tell you about other community resources to help you. Hotline services are anonymous and are available to men and women.
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The People's Law Library of Maryland
Website: www.peoples-law.org
Provides in depth information on Maryland law and links to forms and legal services organizations.
Attorney General's Office - Consumer Protection Division
Location: 15045 Burnt Store Rd, Hughesville, MD 20637
Contact: www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/Pages/contactus.aspx
Website: www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov
Provides consumer information and mediates and arbitrates complaints.
A representative is available in Hughesville every other Tuesday.
Contact the Attorney General's Office - Consumer Protection Division for more information.
Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
Phone: 301-932-6661, 887-310-1810
Email: southern-md@mdlab.org
Website: www.mdlab.org
The Office on Aging has a contract with the Legal Aid Bureau to provide assistance and advice on the following services to persons aged 60-plus: assistance with obtaining or securing benefits, consumer issues, private and public housing issues, and the Health Care Decision Act.
These services are available to persons under 60 if they meet income criteria.
Maryland Commission on Civil Rights
Location: 6 St Paul St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-767-8600
Website: www.mccr.maryland.gov
Assists with employment, housing, commercial and disability discrimination statewide. Call to file complaint.
Contact the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights for more information.
The Office of the People's Council (OPC)
Location: 6 St Paul St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-767-8150
Email: OPC@maryland.gov
Website: www.opc.maryland.gov
A public legal office that helps utility customers. The Office of the People's Counsel (OPC) is an independent Maryland state agency that advocates for Maryland's utility customers and works to protect them from unfair sales practices and unreasonable rates for services (e.g., electricity, natural gas) in a manner consistent with the State's environmental and greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Community Mediation Center of Calvert County
Location: 28 Duke St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 443-295-7456
Email: calvertmediation@gmail.com
Website: www.calvert-mediation.org
Mediation and conflict resolution services to all residents of Calvert County. Services available for small claims cases, divorce and parenting plans, neighborhood disputes, family issues, business disputes, prison re-entry, school issues, IEP facilitation, and community conferencing/restorative justice.
Contact the Community Mediation Center for more information.
Legal Forms Helpline (Women's Law Center of Maryland)
Phone: 1-800-818-9888
Website: www.wlcmd.org
The Legal Forms Helpline is a free telephone service to assist you if you are filing your family law case without the help of an attorney. The Helpline attorney can explain how to complete the required domestic relations forms, how to file the papers and how to move your case forward. The Helpline attorney can help you choose and complete forms you need for:
- Divorce
- Custody
- Visitation
- Child support
- Name change
- Modification of child support
- Modification of custody
- Modification of visitation
- Contempt for failure to pay child support
- Contempt for failure to provide visitation
- Guardianship
You can obtain a free copy of the packet of standard forms and instructions at the clerk’s office of the circuit court for each county in Maryland. They are available for download here. The Legal Forms Helpline attorney can be most helpful to you if you have looked at these forms before calling. You can read more about family law and the legal process at the Peoples Law Library.
The Legal Forms Helpline attorney cannot represent you in your family law case. The attorney may give you the phone number of a lawyer referral service in your area that may help you find an attorney to represent you. Handling your family law case without an attorney is appropriate only if your case is simple and there is little dispute between you and the other side. You should hire an attorney to represent you if you disagree with the other side about what should happen, especially if you disagree about custody, there is a significant amount of money or property involved, such as a home or retirement accounts, or if the other side has an attorney.
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Thursday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Parole and Probation Office
Location: 200 Duke St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 443-550-6780
Website: www.dpscs.state.md.us/locations/dpp_offices.shtml
Supervised individuals on mandatory release, parole and/or probation, living in our neighborhoods and working in our local businesses, require supervision and guidance to keep focused on the ultimate goal of overcoming the "revolving door" of the criminal justice system. The community supervision portion of DPSCS Operations ensures individuals are meeting this goal and upholding individual requirements set forth by courts and the Parole Commission.
In addition to supervising parolees, probationers and those on mandatory release from correctional facilities, community supervision staff also conduct pre-sentence, post sentence, special court, pre parole, executive clemency investigations and supervise individuals who've been court-ordered into the Drinking Driver Monitor Program. A Community Supervision Enforcement Program monitors offenders on home detention and operates the Warrant Apprehension Unit to bring in offenders who have violated the terms of their supervision.
CASA
Phone: 301-431-4185
Website: https://wearecasa.org/programs-in-maryland/
A Latino and immigration advocacy-and-assistance organization based in Maryland, providing free legal consultations and services; employment and workforce development; case management and tax assistance.
Maryland Legal Aid Bureau - Southern Maryland Office
Location: 15045 Burnt Store Rd, Hughesville, MD 20637
Phone: 301-932-6661
Website:https://www.mdlab.org/
Maryland Legal Aid is a private, non-profit law firm providing free legal services to low-income people statewide. Maryland Legal Aid's general practice covers a wide range of issues including housing, family law, employment, health care, public benefits, and consumer/financial issues. Some offices have special contracts to represent abused and neglected children, clients who are facing legal issues resulting from a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, migrant farmworkers, and clients in danger of losing their home to foreclosure.
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maryland Office of the Public Defender (OPD)
Phone: 1-877-430-5187
Email: sherron.mitchell@maryland.gov
Website: opd.state.md.us
OPD has at least 1 district office in each county and Baltimore City. The District Trial Divisions provide felony, misdemeanor, traffic and juvenile delinquency defense for any offense where incarceration or detention is a possible penalty. Stages of representation include: arraignments, bail review, preliminary hearings, pre-trial motions, trial/disposition, sentencing/adjudication, motions to modify, and violations of probation and parole.
OPD also has 4 divisions that provide direct client representation in different proceedings. The Appellate Division provides representation on direct appeals of criminal, juvenile and children in need of assistance (CINA) cases. The Post Conviction Defenders Division provides representation on post conviction petitions, parole revocation hearings, and writs of actual innocence. The Parental Defense Division protects parental rights in CINA and termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings when children are removed from the home. The Mental Health Division provides representation to those who are involuntarily committed to mental health hospitals across the state and to those found not criminally responsible (NCR) and incompetent to stand trial (IST).
To check for eligibility, fill out an online form.
Maryland Senior Legal Hotline
Phone: 1-888-465-2468
Website: www.mdlab.org
The Maryland Senior Legal Helpline is a free telephone hotline for people living in Maryland, aged 60 years or older. Attorneys who staff the helpline provide brief legal advice to callers or give callers a referral to another legal resource or an appropriate public or private agency. By providing these services over the telephone, seniors can get help for their legal problems without having to leave their homes.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Services (MVLS)
Location: 201 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-539-6800
Email: info@mvlslaw.org
Website: mvlslaw.org
MVLS directly helps Marylanders who are facing legal challenges while also fighting to change systems that harm people living in or near poverty, MVLS accomplishes this through pro bono representation, community engagement and legislative and administrative advocacy.
Office of Civil Rights
Phone: 215-656-8541
Email: OCR@ed.gov
Website: www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/secretary-of-state/office-of-civil-rights
For assistance related to civil rights, you may contact the OCR headquarters office in Washington D.C. or the OCR enforcement office serving your state or territory. Contact the enforcement offices if you wish to file a complaint (or use our online complaint form) or if you need technical assistance on a problem or assistance to prevent civil rights problems. Contact the OCR headquarters office if you have a question on national policy, to make a Freedom of Information request for information that is national in scope, or to request publications or other assistance that is not available online.
Pro Bono Resource Center
Location: 1500 Union Ave, Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 410-837-9379
Website: probonomd.org/#who-we-are
PBRC is Maryland’s hub for pro bono (free) civil legal assistance provided by volunteers. Equal access to justice is a core value of our nation, yet hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents cannot afford the legal help they desperately need and have no legal guarantee of a lawyer. As the pro bono arm of the Maryland State Bar Association, PBRC plays a unique role as the training, support, innovation, and advocacy center for pro bono.
Services Include:
- Hosting innovative, free legal clinics in the courthouse and community offering immediate legal assistance to low-income families in areas of critical need not yet addressed by other organizations
- Advocating and organizing to encourage pro bono service and improve the justice system
Contact a staff member to visit their office in-person.
Southern Maryland Center for Family Advocacy
Location: 23918 Mervell Dean Rd, Hollywood, MD 20636
Phone: 301-373-4141
Email: smcfaoffice1979@gmail.com
Website: www.smcfa.net
The mission of the Center for Family Advocacy is to promote a zero-tolerance policy toward interpersonal violence. This policy is promoted by providing lay advocacy services, legal advice and representation, information and referral, and other related services to survivors of domestic violence. These services are delivered both independently and in collaboration with the judicial system and other service providers including nonprofit agencies, law enforcement, the educational system, concerned citizens, elected officials and community leaders, and business/industry in Southern Maryland.
Specifically, the Center shall provide any survivor of domestic violence with timely and free access to the professional services of advocates and attorneys, regardless of age, gender, race, creed, color, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, marital, social, or economic status, or any other demographic or psychographic factors. The Center shall oversee programs that provide direct delivery of services with special emphasis on the needs of women as primary victims and children as secondary victims.
Services:
- Crisis Hotline
- Legal Advocacy
- Rape Crisis Center
- Legal Services
- Case Management
- Crisis Support & Domestic Violence
- Abuser Intervention Program
- Support Group
24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline: 240-925-0084
Hours: Monday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday: 8:30 a.m. to noon
Statewide Long Term Care Assistance Project
Location: 500 E Lexington St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Phone: 410-951-7777
Website: www.peoples-law.org/long-term-care-assistance-project
The Long Term Care Assistance Project (LTCAP) provides free legal assistance on long term care issues in Maryland. LTCAP accepts requests for legal assistance from long term care residents, individuals’ pursuing long term care services, as well as family members, social workers, or others who are helping with these individuals.
Contact the Statewide Long Term Care Assistance Project for more information.
Register of Wills
Location: 175 Main St, Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Phone: 410-535-1600
Website: www.registers.maryland.gov
The Register of Wills is responsible for the administration of all estates. The Register admits wills to probate, appoints personal representatives, audits accounts, determines and collects fees and taxes for the State of Maryland, and records and maintains all documents filed in estate matters. A depository for wills is available for county residents.
Will Preparation for Senior Citizens
Phone: 410-535-4606
Email: ooamailbox@calvertcountymd.gov
Website: www.calvertcountymd.gov/113/Office-on-Aging
Call the Calvert County Office on Aging for a list of attorneys offering a discount to eligible seniors through the Sixty Plus Legal Program.