Legal Help and Resources for Lehigh Valley Seniors

There are special legal needs specific to seniors and the elderly, and they may not always know where to find local resources to have questions answered.

North Penn Legal Services (NPLS) is a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to seniors living in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area. Their mission is to provide civil legal representation to low-income people and ensure equal access to justice for all. They provide legal assistance so that people can know their rights and free legal representation in non-criminal matters such as eviction from housing, discrimination, family law, and consumer protection issues. To see if you are eligible for assistance view their website’s eligibility requirements (http://northpennlegal.org/about/eligibility-requirements). NPLS may take into account some expenses (for example, employment-related expenses, child support paid out, and unusually high medical expenses) for households above these guidelines.

NPLS Services include:

Preserving the home

Preservation of the home is essential to the well-being of every person NPLS gives priority to advocacy enabling families to avoid loss of their home through uninhabitability, eviction or foreclosure and helping families enjoy safe and secure housing whether threatened by on-going conditions in public or private housing or by natural disaster.

Support for Families

Families may be vulnerable to problems requiring legal assistance for their resolution. NPLS gives priority to advocacy which supports the integrity, safety and well-being of the family. NPLS assists low-income individuals, including domestic violence victims, with the following family law areas

Maintaining and Enhancing Income and Economic Stability

Families must be economically viable in order to survive. The loss of a job may lead to a loss of housing, access to health case and even the break-up of the family. For workers who have lost their jobs, or become disabled or who otherwise are unable to obtain employment, establishing eligibility for public benefits may be the only way to preserve a source on income for the family. In other situations, often following illness and loss of employment, insurmountable debt may threaten basic economic security.

Safety, Stability and Well-Being

Domestic violence threatens the security and stability of families as does lack of access to health care.

Assistance to Populations with Special Vulnerabilities

Some individuals, often living outside the context of a family, may be especially vulnerable and who may for a variety of reasons have difficulty fending for themselves Access to legal assistance may be critical.

Need Help with a Civil Legal Issue?

Call the NPLS legal aid hotline at 1-877-953-4250. Intake hours are Mon-Thurs: 9:00-11:30am,
1:30-4:00pm and Fri: 9:00-11:30am. NPLS has a Lehigh Valley office located at 559 Main Street, Suite 200, Bethlehem, PA 18018 or visit http://northpennlegal.org/.