Attorney Amy Hall Testifies Before the Montana Legislature

“We abolished incarceration of people who failed to pay their debts centuries ago. Do we want to return to the days of debtor’s prison?” MLSA Housing Attorney Amy Halls visited the Montana Legislature on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 to testify against Senate Bills 239 and 255. If passed, the two bills would allow tenants who …

IRS Has Refunds of $3.5 Million for Montanans Who Have Not Filed Their 2013 Taxes

​The IRS announced today that about 3,600 Montanans have an average refund of $727 available to them if they file their 2013 tax refund before April 18, 2017.  You will lose your right to a refund for your 2013 taxes if you don't file before April 18th. For more information on 2013 refunds, visit: https://www.irs.gov/uac/newsroom/irs-has-refunds-totaling-1-billion-for-people-who-have-not-filed-a-2013-federal-income-tax-return. …

New Report Released on Civil Legal Aid in Montana

On December 28, 2016, the Access to Justice Commission released a report detailing its findings on the state of civil legal aid in Montana.  The report, which is based on information gathered during seven public forums on access to justice held from October 2015 to October 2016, describes both the challenges and successes of increasing …

Need Help Finding Out How Much You Owe in Taxes?

Are you confused about how much you owe in taxes? This week the IRS launched a tool to allow taxpayers to review how much they owe on a secure website. The tool can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/payments/finding-out-how-much-you-owe   Do you dispute how much you owe in taxes or do you have financial difficulties that prevent …

MLSA Receives Increased Funding for Domestic Violence Services

Helena- The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) recently received a grant from the Office of Violence Against Women for the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant program. MLSA will receive $400,000 over three years to fund the Survivors Legal Project to provide civil legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence. …

Client Success Story: Jason

Jason reached out to MLSA for help after he decided he wanted to end his abusive marriage. He found filing the paperwork to end his marriage on his own to be an overwhelming task, so MLSA assigned his case to a volunteer attorney, who also works as an MLSA staff attorney. The attorney helped guide …

MLSA Attorney Ed Higgins Receives George L. Bousliman Award

In August 2016, MLSA staff attorney Ed Higgins received the George L. Bousliman Professionalism Award from the Montana State Bar. The Bousliman Award recognizes lawyers who have established a reputation for professionalism and have demonstrated extraordinary professionalism by contributing time and resources to public service, public education, charitable or pro bono activities, and encouraging respect for …

Important Changes Coming for Taxpayers with ITINs

The IRS recently announced that they will require taxpayers who use Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to renew their ITINs periodically on a rolling schedule, beginning this October. More information can be found here: https://www.irs.gov/uac/irs-works-to-help-taxpayers-affected-by-itin-changes-renewals-begin-in-october   If you use an ITIN to file your taxes and have questions on how or when you will need …

Jerry Metcalf Foundation Helps Fund Medical-Legal Partnership

The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) recently received a grant from the Jerry Metcalf Foundation in support of a staff attorney who provides services free of charge to Montanans living in poverty with health-harming civil legal needs whose solutions lay outside the boundaries of medicine and in the justice forums. These patient/clients are referred through …