Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) will be implementing a partial intake shutdown between August 4th and August 17th. We will return to business as usual on August 18th.
MLSA has always aimed to respond to applicants in a timely manner. However, the need for free legal help has grown, and as a result our number of applications waiting for an intake call is higher than ever. From August 4th through August 17th, we will be prioritizing requests for help with orders of protection, evictions, issues we normally help with but for which a hearing or response is due within 14 days, and current clients with ongoing issues.* We will also have limited office hours at our Helena, Missoula and Billings office locations. Please check our Google Business Profile to see our updated hours for the next two weeks. Our goal during these two weeks is to work through as much of our application list as possible.
*Current MLSA clients will continue to receive regular services.
Again, we will be prioritizing the following applications during this time:
-Applicants who have filed or are responding to an Order of Protection; or
-Applicants who have been served with eviction court papers or have a pending court order for an eviction;
-Civil legal issues we usually assist with but have a hearing or a deadline within the two week timeframe;
-Referrals from partnering organizations
To apply, individuals in these emergency situations may complete an online application. Do not submit an application for any other legal problem, it will not be processed. Please wait to apply until August 18.
During the application pause, MLSA staff will do the following to continue serving clients:
-Call back applicants already on our waitlist to complete their intakes;
-Continue scheduling waitlisted applicants and current clients with telephone advice appointments as available;
-Respond to LiveChat questions on MontanaLawHelp.org; and
-Represent current clients at all scheduled court and administrative hearings.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding. As a reminder, everyone can access free legal information, forms, and other tools anytime online at MontanaLawHelp.org, MontanaDebtOptions.org, and MTCrimeVictimHelp.org. You can also go to AskKarla.org to receive legal advice from volunteer attorneys.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.