Gwinnett Legal Aid is now accepting intake applications.
Our office will be closed on Monday, February 20, 2023 in observance of President’s Day.
Please call (678) 376-4545 or apply online at atlantalegalaid.org/apply.
Rachel Lazarus
Managing Attorney
For warming stations in Gwinnett County, go to the GwinnettCounty.com Health and Human Services Page.
If you are unable to afford the filing fee to start your case, you may seek permission from the court to proceed without the filing fee. This is called “indigent,” or “pauper’s” status. Generally, permission to file as an indigent person will be based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This form must be signed before a notary, indicating you are submitting the information under oath.
(678) 376-9844
FREE legal advice and/or representation for Petitioners obtaining temporary protection, modifying protective orders, and enforcing protective orders. No assistance provided for filing the petition for temporary protective order. For help or more information, call the number above and leave a message. Someone from Gwinnett Family Violence Project will return your call and assess your eligibility for services under our income and citizenship guidelines.
(678) 407-6469
FREE legal advice and/or representation to people appealing a decision by the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) that affects TANF, SNAP/Food Stamp, Medicaid or Childcare Assistance benefits. For help or more information, call the number above and leave a message. Someone from Gwinnett Legal Aid will return your call.
(678) 407-6462
FREE legal advice and/or representation for Spanish-speakers with civil legal problems. For help or more information, call the number above and leave a message in Spanish or English. Someone from the Hispanic Outreach Project will return your call and assess your eligibility for services under our income and citizenship guidelines.
Asesoramiento legal y/o representación GRATIS para personas que hablan español con problemas legales civiles. Para obtener ayuda o más información, llame al número indicado arriba y deje un mensaje en español o inglés. Alguien del proyecto hispano le devolverá la llamada y evaluará su elegibilidad para los servicios según nuestras pautas de ingresos y ciudadanía.
Free consultations with local probate attorneys to answer questions regarding wills, estates, probates, administrations, guardianships, conservatorship, and more….
3rd Thursday of each month
1:30 – 4:00 pm
Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center
Breezeway
75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA
No appointment necessary.
First come, first served.
Last client accepted at 4:00 pm
324 W. Pike St., Suite 200, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
(678) 376-4545
30 S. Park Square, Marietta, GA 30090
(770) 528-2565
246 Sycamore St., Suite 120, Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 377-0701
777 Cleveland Ave., Suite 410, Atlanta, GA 30315
(404) 669-0233
54 Ellis St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 524-5811
Georgia Relay Center
1-800-255-0135
Georgia Senior Legal Hotline
Statewide assistance for Georgia residents age 60 and older.
1-888-257-9519
Home Defense Project
Home equity scams, home purchase scams, predatory mortgage lending, wrongful denial of mortgage refinancing
(404) 377-0701
The Legal Aid in the Law Library program has been discontinued due to lack of funding. If you have been served with a dispossessory warrant or have a legal deadline of 3 days or less that has not been extended by court order because of Covid-19 precautionary measures, please call Gwinnett Legal Aid at 678-376-4545 for assistance.
Complete all of your financial information on this form if you are asking to have the filing and service/publication costs waived in your case. A judge will make a decision concerning your application and inform you whether or not you have been granted indigent status.
Affidavit of Indigence and Eligibility to Proceed In Forma Pauperis
If your child will need to travel internationally, you should make sure the child has a valid passport, if possible. If the child is under 16, then generally both parents must go with the child to apply for the passport.
Parents can apply for a passport for their child without the other parent’s consent if you can demonstrate there is an emergency or special circumstances why the other parent cannot sign the consent form, or where you as the applying parent can prove you have sole custody of the child.
Make a copy of everything you plan to submit to the Department of State and keep all of those documents together for your records.
If the application is denied, please contact a lawyer immediately. You can apply for an appeal and try again, but you must do so right away. The attorney could also advise you about applying for sole custody if necessary.
If your child was born in another country, check with that country’s embassy or consulate to find out what you will need to obtain a passport from that country. The embassy may advise you of other considerations as well, including the possibility of obtaining dual citizenship for your child, if eligible. You can find the closest embassy to you at https://www.visahq.com/embassies.
We recommend you visit https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html for additional information and requirements to apply for a passport on behalf of a minor child.
Under O.C.G.A. 20-2-690.1, a person who is caring for a child in their home is required to enroll that child in school. Under Georgia State Department of Education Rule 160-5-1-.28(b), any person who is caring for a child in their home is allowed to enroll the child in school, even if the caregiver does not have any formal custody or guardianship order.
The school district may require the caregiver to complete a Non-Parental Affidavit, but the school district cannot require custody or guardianship papers.
Additionally, the school district may ask a caregiver to sign a Kinship Caregiver Affidavit. The Kinship Care Affidavit is not required to enroll a child in school, but it will allow a caregiver to consent to services which usually require parental consent. Those services are:
If the school district has any questions about the child’s eligibility to enroll, the school district is required to provisionally enroll the child for 30 days, pursuant to Rule 160-5-1-.28(c), to allow the caregiver time to resolve the problem without having the child miss school.
No recomendamos que usted se represente a si mismo si no habla y/o entiende el inglés con fluidez. Le recomendamos enfáticamente que obtenga un abogado que le ayude. Sin embargo, si ya tiene un caso pendiente, le recomendamos lo siguiente:
1. Llame a la oficina de Ayuda Legal de Gwinnett en el (678) 376-4545 para más asistencia. Puede ser que podamos ofrecerle asesoramiento o representación ante un tribunal.
2. Si ya tiene un caso, y aún no ha presentado una Moción para Nombrar un Intérprete, debe hacerlo inmediatamente. Esta es una solicitud para que el juez tenga un intérprete disponible traduciendo para usted durante la fecha de su corte. La forma necesita es:
Si cancela o reprograma su fecha de corte, debe notificar al tribunal al menos 24 horas de antelación para que el tribunal pueda notificar al intérprete del cambio. Si usted no notifica a la corte el cambio, cualquier costo de intérprete puede ser cargado en su contra.
Un Notario estadounidense no es lo mismo que un notario de un país Latino Americano. En muchos países de habla hispana, un “notario” es un abogado licenciado o una persona con educación formal en la ley. En los EE.UU. un “notario” NO es un abogado licenciado. Es alguien designado por el gobierno para presenciar la firma de documentos importantes y administrar juramentos. Aquí en los EE.UU. notarios estan prohibidos de preparar documentos legales o dar consejería legal, a menos de que el notario sea además un abogado licenciado. “Notarios” a menudo se aprovechan de los inmigrantes que son nuevos en este país y no están familiarizados con nuestro sistema legal. Los notarios pueden cobrar cuotas muy altas por servicios que nunca proporcionan o que no tienen el derecho legal de ofrecer, y pueden causar daños permanentes en su caso. Puede confirmar que usted esta tratando con un abogado y no un “notario” poniéndose en contacto con el Colegio o Barra de Abogados de Georgia.
How does the U.S. Notary differ from a Notario Público from a Latin American Country?
A U.S. Notary is not the same as a “Notario Público” from a Latin American Country. In many Spanish-speaking countries, a “notario” is a licensed attorney or a person with formal education in the law. In the U.S., a notary is NOT a licensed attorney. It is someone appointed by the government to witness the signing of important documents and administer oaths. Here in the U.S., notaries are forbidden from preparing legal documents or giving advice on any legal matters, unless the notary is also a licensed attorney. “Notarios” often take advantage of immigrants who are new to this country and are unfamiliar with our legal system. Notarios may charge high fees for help that they never provide or is illegal for them to provide and can sometimes permanently damage your case. You can confirm that you are dealing with an attorney and not a “notario” by contacting the State Bar of Georgia.
