Why is the law important? What is the difference between a criminal and civil legal issue? How do I find the correct court? You can find the answers to all of these questions in our new article titled Basics of Montana’s Legal System and Courts. Want to help teens understand Montana’s Legal System? MLSA received …
March 25-31 is National Farmworker Awareness Week. This week provides an opportunity to honor the important contributions of farmworkers and raise awareness about issues they face. Thank you farmworkers for the work you do to grow, harvest, process and pack our food. Do you know the rights of H-2A visa holders in Montana? They include: …
In civil cases, there are no court-appointed attorneys. This is where Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) comes in. MLSA is a non-profit law firm providing free civil legal services to low-income clients in Montana with issues like divorce, domestic violence, eviction, public benefits, debt, and more. We have offices in Billings, Helena, and Missoula and …
If the Office of Public Assistance (OPA) has made a decision about your public benefits that you think is unfair, against the rules, or factually wrong, you have the right to appeal that decision by asking for a Fair Hearing. To learn more about the process, check out our MontanaLawHelp.org article titled Fair Hearings: How …
If you own your mobile home and rent the lot, you cannot be evicted for no reason. A recent Montana Supreme Court ruling says that lot landlords must follow state law on rental terminations. Montana state law does not allow rental terminations for no reason. Even if a lease says it allows no-cause terminations with …
If you gave someone the power to act as your agent (often called a Power of Attorney or POA) and you would like to revoke that power, we have a form you can use called How to Revoke a Power of Attorney Document. We also have an article titled Acting As Someone’s Agent if you …
Do you know where to find free help with filing your taxes? Here are two programs that may be able to help: 1. Tax Help Montana (THM) offers free preparation and filing services for low- to moderate-income taxpayers and seniors (age 60+). Find THM sites across the state by visiting RuralDynamics.org/taxes and clicking the purple …
Have you been served with eviction court papers? Learn what to do next: 1. Read the court paperwork to figure out your deadline to answer. Renters who have been served with eviction papers from the court only have FIVE business days to file a written Answer with the court. 2. Download, print, and fill out …
Federal education laws have been passed to help youth who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Some of the supports include: -Fee waivers for the SAT/ACT; -An initial deposit for tuition or dorm; -Housing during school breaks; and -Help with basic needs like clothing, food, and supplies for school. All Montana high schools and the …
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps low to moderate income workers and families get a tax break. If you qualify, you can use the credit to reduce the taxes you owe – and maybe increase your refund. As of December 2023, approximately 64,000 Montanans received $139 million in EITC. The average amount received in …
