Legal Information

Legal Information

Legal Assistance enhances the readiness and welfare of active duty and reserve members of the Armed Forces by providing quality legal services regarding personal civil legal matters to eligible persons, and by educating eligible persons regarding their personal legal rights and responsibilities. Legal assistance accomplishes its mission by direct client assistance services and a vigorous preventive law program that educates and informs the military community through a variety of creative and stimulating outreach efforts.

 

WHAT TYPE OF SERVICES CAN LEGAL PROVIDE?

Advice and/or service regarding the following matters are normally available at legal assistance offices:

  • Wills, testamentary trusts, and estate planning.

  • Domestic relations, including divorce, legal separation, annulment, custody, and paternity.

  • Adoption and name changes.

  • Immigration and naturalization.

  • Nonsupport and indebtedness including, communication, correspondence and negotiations with another party or lawyer.

  • Taxes, including basic advice and assistance on Federal, State, and local taxes.

  • Landlord-tenant relations, including review of personal leases and communication and correspondence.

  • Civil suits, including preparation of correspondence and certain documents. However, advice and document preparation will not be provided in cases where civilian counsel has been retained. In-court representation is precluded except through the expanded legal assistance program, the availability of which varies among the services.

  • Service members Civil Relief Act advice and assistance.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE?

Eligibility for legal assistance varies somewhat among the services.  Generally, legal assistance is available to the following:

  • Members of the armed forces on active duty (including members of a reserve component).

  • Following release from active duty orders for 30 days or more, members of reserve components are eligible for legal assistance for a period beginning on the date of release from active duty and continuing for a period equal to twice the length of the period served on those active duty orders. 

  • Retired military personnel.

  • Dependents (spouses and minor children) of those listed above, who are entitled to a military identification card.

  • Inactive members of the reserve components, subject to federal mobilization, may receive deployment-related legal assistance.

  • Civilian employees and contractors deploying to or in a theater of operations may receive wills and powers of attorney.

  • Civilian employees assigned outside the United States and its territories, including their dependents residing with them.

Visit the new Air Force Legal Assistance website at https://aflegalassistance.law.af.mil; the site is designed for active-duty and reserve component members, retirees and dependents.