Following are true stories* of people in Texas who have been helped by Legal Aid. These are just a few examples of the more than 230,000 poor and low-income Texans who receive direct legal assistance from Legal Aid each year.

Getting Free and Making a New Life

Maria had to flee her home suddenly, with her two children, following a brutal assault by her husband. She was desperate and didn't know where to turn, until a friend referred her to Legal Aid. Maria attended a group presentation at her local Legal Aid office regarding eligibility requirements for abused immigrant women to self-petition for legal residency. Maria was overwhelmed and thought that she would not be able to gather the necessary legal documents. 

A Legal Aid advocate helped Maria through the legal process. Maria, with the advocate's help, began work on a personal affidavit recounting numerous incidents of abuse during her five-year marriage to her husband, a United States citizen. Maria endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse from her husband, yet she feared leaving him due to her lack of legal residency status. She also feared for the safety of her children. The Legal Aid advocate continued to help Maria with her case. Within seven months, Maria's petition for legal residency was approved. Maria is now a lawful permanent resident, working and supporting her two kids. With the help of a volunteer attorney, she obtained a divorce from her abusive husband.  Maria, with renewed self-confidence and appreciation for the help of Legal Aid, now helps other abused women who are seeking to leave their abusers and obtain legal residency.

Regaining a Sense of Security at Home

Barbara, a 70-year-old woman, was being evicted from her public housing apartment because she would not allow maintenance men to enter her unit as required by her lease. After the Housing Authority had issued numerous notices to vacate, Barbara contacted her local Legal Aid office.  In a sensitive investigation of the case, the Legal Aid attorney discovered that she had been raped on the property in the prior year and as a result, was terrified to allow a man into her residence while she was alone.

Legal Aid negotiated with the Housing Authority to discontinue their efforts to evict Barbara, and to make special arrangements to perform maintenance on her apartment. Because of Legal Aid's help, Barbara now feels much safer in her home.

The Right to Work

David, a high school student with Down syndrome, had been given a vocational evaluation by the school district, which indicated he had NO vocational interests and should go into a sheltered workshop. David became troubled and distressed, because he was very eager and able to explore vocational opportunities. With no one to help him challenge the evaluation, David went to his local Legal Aid office for help.

Legal Aid was successful in getting the school district to bring in a consultant to conduct a functional vocational assessment, as well as conduct a person-centered planning meeting with David and his family. Because of the work of Legal Aid, a transition plan was developed for David that included meaningful vocational opportunities, including competitive employment, upon his graduation from high school.

Finding Safety from Violence

Kathryn left her abusive husband after more than seven years of marriage. During their marriage he had stabbed and shot at her, thrown her through doors and run over her with an automobile. Upon learning that the husband had sexually abused her children, Kathryn left all her possessions and took the children to a women's shelter. She had no money and nowhere to turn, so she contacted Legal Aid for help. 

Legal Aid assisted Kathryn in getting court orders allowing her to obtain sole custody of her children, child support, protection from her abusive husband, and health insurance coverage. Legal Aid also helped Kathryn obtain a civil standby order, which allowed her to retrieve her personal items from the abuser. Because of the help from Legal Aid, Kathryn and her children are now safe from violence and working to rebuild their lives.

Help in a Time of Grief

Pete and Ida were devastated after two of their children were murdered. The parents made arrangements for the funeral services at a local funeral home. The funeral director agreed to provide services for both children for $2,500, which Pete and Ida paid at the time of the agreement. After they had paid the fees, the funeral director explained that they might be eligible to receive Crime Victims Compensation funds to pay for the funeral.

She represented to the distraught parents that if that were the case, she would reimburse them the $2,500 they had paid. Some months later, Crime Victims Compensation paid the funeral home $9,500 for the funeral expenses of the murdered children. The parents contacted the funeral director requesting that she honor her agreement to reimburse them for their out-of-pocket expenses. The funeral director refused to honor the agreement and evaded repeated attempts by Pete and Ida to contact her. With nowhere left to turn, Pete and Ida went to Legal Aid for help. Legal Aid immediately contacted the funeral director and successfully negotiated with her to reimburse Pete and Ida the money they had paid to the funeral home. Although they are still grieving the loss of their children, they are very grateful to Legal Aid for helping them during an extremely difficult time.

Protecting Consumers from Deceptive Practice

Harvey's car had broken down, but he did not have the money for expensive repairs. He asked his son to arrange for the car to be towed to a repair shop for an estimate. Harvey's son spoke with the manager of the shop, stating that his father only wanted an estimate and that he could not authorize repairs. While Harvey and his son waited for the estimate, the shop manager called to inform him that the repairs were complete and that Harvey owed them $2,100.

Although the repairs were never authorized, the shop refused to release the car to Harvey or his son until the bill was paid. The shop also refused to discuss the matter with Harvey, except to inform him that he was also being charged $7 per day for storage. Harvey didn't know what to do. Harvey and his son sent a letter to the shop's manager explaining the situation again and offering to pay $200 for the initial inspection of the car. Harvey never received a reply. So he and his son contacted Legal Aid. Legal Aid contacted the repair shop on Harvey's behalf. They quickly settled the matter and obtained a release of the lien against Harvey's car.

* Names have been changed.