Program areas at Manhattan Legal Services
Housing assistance - we fight tenant harassment and preserve affordable housing, defend clients in nonpayment and other eviction proceedings as well as assist them in applying for asylum. We also help them pursue rent overcharge claims and actions to improve housing conditions; all of which keep them from becoming homeless.
Income maintenance - we help people access and retain government benefits. Through our income security and benefits work, we assist clients when government benefits are wrongfully denied, inaccurately calculated, or improperly terminated; and we represent families and individuals for whom unemployment insurance, food stamps, medicaid/medicare and other public assistance and safety net programs constitute critical lifelines.
Other - we represent people in other civil Legal matters, such as consumer, immigration and employment matters. In the consumer area, we defend individuals being sued in debt collection cases and enforce people's right to fair debt collection. Our immigration practice focuses on adjustment of status, nationalization and green card replacements. In the employment arena, we help people get wages to which they are entitled and defend people's employment rights. We also help client groups assert their rights to habitable homes, decent schools and nondiscriminatory housing.
Family assistance - our family law practice preserves families wherever possible, while providing our clients and their children with Legal and social services.we help: victims of domestic violence obtain orders of protection and other relief; clients obtain divorces, child custody and child support; parents or guardians in abuse and neglect cases and at termination of parental rights proceedings and provide advice in general family matters to low income people on a hotline.