Dealing with the courts and the property of someone who has passed away can be very complicated.To help alleviate some of the confusion, the Texas Young Lawyers Association created a terrific free resource called "To Will or Not to Will" that answers basic questions about simple estates under Texas law.Please click hereto check it out and start planning your estate today.
July 26, 2010
The Austin Bar Association will be hosting a Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans Clinic tomorrow (June 27th) from 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Austin VA Outpatient Clinic, located at 2901 Montopolis Drive, Room 747 in Austin. Volunteer lawyers will be providing free legal advice to any United States veteran in civil areas of law, including Bankruptcy, Child Support, Consumer/Contracts, Divorce or Custody/ Guardianship/ Probate, Landlord/ Tenant, Wills/ Estate Planning, Employment, Housing, and Tax. Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans is a State Bar of Texas program to develop and assist pro bono legal clinics throughout the state for military veterans who otherwise cannot afford or do not have access to the legal services they need.
The Austin Bar will hold future clinics on August 30 and September 20 at the same location. No appointment is necessary, though those requesting legal advice should bring along any paperwork relevant to his or her case. For additional information, contact Debbie Kelly at debbie@austinbar.org. For more information on this program and locations of clinics in other cities, please go to the State Bar's Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans homepage at:
Many families leave their children in the care of non-parent relatives during school holidays, so the Texas Department of Protective & Regulatory Services created a form to allow those family members the ability to authorize medical/dental or emergency care for your child if you are not present.
You can download the form byclicking here. Check it out and pass it along to any friends or family members who may have a need for it.
July 14, 2010
If you or someone that you know has a special needs child, you may have questions or concerns about your rights and the rights of the child under Texas law. In 2008, the Texas Young Lawyers created a terrific overview of Special Education law for parents that addresses these and many other important issues.
To download the pamphlet, "Special Education Law and the School Environment: A Guide to Understanding Your Rights," please click here.
June 25, 2010
Seniors & the Law:A Guide for Maturing Texans provides legal information for those who are reaching retirement age. Please visit pass it along to someone who might need a helpful guide to avoiding consumer scams that target the elderly, planning for retirement and ensuring that they receive proper medical care.
To view Seniors & the Law:A Guide for Maturing Texans please click here.
May 25, 2010
A new TYLA program called R U Safe? is educating kids and their parents about online dangers. Using advice from law enforcement and child advocacy groups, it covers cyber bullying, social networking sites, chat rooms, "sexting," and online predators. If you have kids who use the internet or just want to learn more, check out this free program!
Texas Law Help is an online resource of the Access to Justice Commission, which provides funding for free and low-cost civil legal assistance for those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Check it out to learn about your rights and self-help resources.
Don't forget to vote in the last election before November! This time we are electing the people who make decisions about our public schools (ACC, plus LISD, RRISD or AISD, depending on where you live). To help you become a more informed voter, the League of Women Voters has put together another great, non-partisan guide to the election with information about all of the candidates.
To view a copy click here and please take a few minutes to vote.
April 20, 2010
In addition to juvenile truancy matters, evictions and minor criminal cases, JP courts in Texas have jurisdiction over civil claims under $10,000. To provide a better understanding of how to file a small claim, the Texas Young Lawyers Association recently updated How to Sue in Small Claims Court.
To download a copy of How to Sue in Small Claims Court, please click here.
April 12, 2010
If you or someone you know is a military reservist, you may be entitled to reduced interest on your mortgage, reduced interest rates on credit card debt, protection from eviction and/or delay of civil court actions if you are called into active duty. The American Forces Information Service has created a brochure to explain these and other benefits.
To view a copy of the brochure, please click here.
April 6, 2010
If your child commits a minor crime or misses too much school, you may find yourself in JP court to defend the charges. Many minor juvenile crimes, as well as truancy cases, are filed in JP court. The following brochure, prepared by the Juvenile Justice Section of the State Bar, explains how the Texas justice system balances the punishment or rehabilitation of children who commit crimes with public safety concerns.
To view Juvenile Law and the Justice System, please click here.
March 29, 2010
It is estimated that almost one million women are battered each year in Texas. In 2007, Texas voters approved the "Family Violence Amendment" to the Texas Constitution to tackle the problem. You can view TYLA's film, Healing the Wounds, for details on what victims of domestic violence can expect when utilizing the courts to obtain a protective order, temporary restraining order or divorce.
JP Courts in Texas handle all landlord/tenant disputes. TYLA's Tenants' Rights Handbook is a free resource that explains many legal issues that arise in the landlord-tenant relationship.
To view a copy of the Tenants' Rights Handbook, click here.
Disclaimer: The Karin Crump Campaign provides the information on this website as a service to the public. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be a substitution for legal advice. Furthermore, due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and our reliance on information provided by outside sources, we make no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content found in documents or at other websites to which we link.
