Legal Services for the Elderly
| Address: | 8 Falcon Rd. Lewiston, ME 04243 |
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| Toll Free Phone: | 1-800-750-5353 (legal services helpline) |
| Website: | Website |
| Clients: | Legal Services for the Elderly (LSE) provides free civil legal services to Mainers age 60 and older. |
| Services: | LSE has a statewide Helpline that is staffed by three attorneys and two paralegals. All legal services from LSE originate with an individual calling the Helpline and doing an intake over the telephone. An intake paralegal will need to speak with the potential client or someone who has legal authority to act on his or her behalf to do an intake. Helpline attorneys assist callers with a broad range of legal issues, such as debt problems, housing issues, elder abuse and exploitation, Social Security and public benefits problems, powers of attorney and MaineCare and questions. LSE also offers full legal representation for administrative and court proceedings in certain circumstances, generally those in which a senior’s basic needs are being threatened, including elder abuse and financial exploitation, eviction, foreclosure defense, and public benefit appeals. To make that possible, LSE has staff attorneys located at five Area Offices in Scarborough, Lewiston, Augusta, Bangor and Presque Isle. If a case is appropriate for extended representation by LSE, a helpline attorney will refer the matter to a staff attorney. For matters that do not involve basic needs, such as real estate transactions and estate planning, LSE maintains a referral panel of private attorneys across the state. These attorneys are willing to accept referrals from LSE at a reduced fee if the senior has limited financial means and requires more extensive assistance than the Helpline can provide. For free and confidential legal advice, seniors are encouraged to call the LSE Helpline at 1-800-750-5353. LSE also provides information on Medicare for callers of all ages. LSE has a statewide Medicare Part D Appeals Unit that helps seniors and people with disabilities of any age who have (or are eligible for) Medicare get needed prescription medications. For more information, call the LSE Part D Unit at 1-877-774-7772. |
| Fees: | No charge |
| Hours: | Legal Services Helpline: Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. |
