Pro Bono Legal Services for Low-Income Survivors of Domestic Violence

Grant Information
Categories	Community
Location	United States
Cycle Year	2023

Organization Information
Organization Name (provided by applicant)	Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
Organization Name (provided by automatic EIN validation)
EIN	74-2168895
Website	https://www.vlsoct.org/

Contact Information
Contact Name	Ms. Alisa De luna
Phone	15124765550
E-mail	adeluna@vlsoct.org
Address	8001 Centre Park Drive, Suite 120 Austin TX 78754

Additional Information
Used for	Grant funds will be used for supplies, equipment, and the staff salary of an attorney that supervises the pro bono attorneys who assist low-income domestic violence survivors with civil legal matters.
Benefits	The benefit of our programs is best illustrated by our vulnerable, low-income clients: Denise and her husband married in 1993. Denise is a Spanish-speaker. Not long after the marriage began, Denise’s husband began abusing her. He would physically and verbally assault her. The husband rarely worked, so Denise was the primary breadwinner. Denise came to VLS for assistance with divorce and conservatorship of the parties’ kids. VLS placed Denise’s case with a volunteer attorney to represent her in divorce. The attorney prepared pleadings and filed the divorce case. During the pendency of the divorce Denise’s husband moved without providing his address. Denise did not know where he went. She feared for the safety of herself and her kids, because she did not know when he might appear and try to harm them. Even though the husband disappeared, he needed to be served with the divorce. The husband’s absence required the attorney to take additional, complex steps to effectuate service and keep Denise safe. The attorney effectuated alternate service after establishing the basis for it with the Court. Particularly given the language barrier, it would have been very difficult for Denise to effectuate service and obtain a divorce, including conservatorship, without an attorney. Denise and her kids were able to move forward into a safe future. The orders issued by the Court will allow Denise to keep herself and her kids safe from her abuser.
Proposal Description	Aligned with our mission, VLS provides pro bono legal services to survivors of domestic violence living at or below 187.5% of the federal poverty guideline. Domestic violence victims/survivors rely on available legal services to deal with the issues associated with separation from the perpetrator that include family law matters such as divorce, child custody and support, protective orders and visitation as well as day-to-day legal issues affecting their basic needs such as housing, access to education and health services, income support, and more. While this assistance is crucial for the survivor and their children to separate from the perpetrator and thrive, this assistance is often out of reach for low-income individuals. Often, it is financial challenges that force a survivor to return to, or stay with, their abuser, as well as fear of not being able to protect their children. VLS aims to ensure that, in addition to the legal services provided, other appropriate wrap-around services are identified and addressed through community partnerships, ensuring that the victim/survivor and family have the resources needed to resume life without their abuser. In 2022, 361 domestic violence victims sought legal assistance from VLS. Pro bono attorneys spent 2,463 hours directly on domestic violence cases in 2022 – a more than 100% increase from 2021 (1,112 hours). These hours represented a value of $714,377 in legal services to the community; Grant funds will be used for supplies, equipment, and the staff salary of an attorney that supervises the pro bono attorneys who assist our clients.