CHAP Intake Request














VLP offers help in family law through our Court House Assistance Program, called CHAP.  CHAP is a weekly family law clinic that takes place via phone/zoom. If you qualify,  we will attempt to arrange a consultation for you with a volunteer lawyer for free about your family law case for a half hour.  We do not have volunteer lawyers who can go to court with you, but you can request more than one appointment at the clinic. At a consultation, you will receive advice on how to represent yourself, file paperwork, serve documents, and prepare for court. If you are interested, knowing that we do not have attorneys available to represent you in court, please complete all parts of this form and click "submit" at the end.  By accepting this form, VLP is not agreeing to accept your case, and we are not your lawyer.  

In order to provide a volunteer lawyer to help you, we may share some of the information you provide to us with the potential volunteer lawyers. By applying for help through our program, you agree that we may share your information for this purpose.  

If you can’t or do not want to submit the form, you can also call our intake line on Monday afternoons from 1-3:30, or Fridays 9:00 to 11:30, at 1-800-442-4293, for cases in southern Maine. For northern Maine, please call 1-888-956-4276 on Fridays from 9:00 to noon.  

 

Some important information:  
We will review your request when it is received and make a determination if you qualify for this service.  
We serve only low income Mainers, and you will need to provide some financial information to determine if you qualify.  
This program helps with family law matters but cannot not help with guardianships or DHHS cases.  
You will receive either a phone call or email from VLP to confirm your submission and give you information about scheduling or referrals.   You may receive a phone call from a blocked number.  
VLP does not provide full representation in family law cases, and we will not be able to provide a lawyer to go to court with you.  
 

Some resources that may be helpful in the meantime:  

Here is a link to the Maine court’s forms website that has all the forms that are needed for a family law case.    

To find more information and guidance about the court process in family law, here is a link to the Maine Courts website.  

You can also find a lot of self help information on the Pine Tree Legal website.    

For an overview of the court process and your options, here is a legal flowchart that may be helpful.  

 

If you are a survivor of domestic violence, please contact your local domestic violence resource center for assistance and other resources. To find your local DVRC, please click here.  

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Full Legal First, MI and Last Name *
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We can't help you if we can't reach you! We will contact you from a BLOCKED or GOOGLE VOICE number or EMAIL.  We want to be able to reach you to 1) Do the intake interview and 2) schedule you for a clinic if you are eligible.         

Do you check your EMAILS and CAN YOUR PHONE RECEIVE CALLS FROM BLOCKED NUMBERS? 
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Please provide a summary of your legal issue, including specific details, a clear description of what you are looking for assistance with, questions you have for a lawyer, and your goal(s) *
Are you represented by an attorney for this legal issue right now? If yes, please explain.
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Is there an open DHHS , child protective case at this time?
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What email address, if so?
If not referred by a DV agency, how did you hear about VLP?  Please list caseworker here and contact info if you want us to have it.
Number of People 18 and Over in Your Household *
Number of People Under 18 in Your Household *
What type(s) of income does your household have have? Choose as many as necessary to describe the income of all of the adults in your household. *
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What is your overall household gross income per month? (this means the income of ALL individuals bringing in money to contribute to the household before deductions) *
Please list the first name of each adult in your household, their relationship to you, and their monthly income.  If a person has no income, please indicate that as $0: *
Other than a home you live in, and one vehicle, do you have any other assets worth over $5000, such as: other property and/or $5000 in a bank account? *
Asset Dollar Amount and Description *
VLP requires complete disclosure of the finances of your household.  Please review your answers and add any additional financial information that we should know about here:
Gender *
What race or ethnicity do you identify as? *
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What language do you speak most at home? *
Do you need an interpreter?
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If yes, what language? *
Do you have a physical, mental, or learning disability? *
Does anyone in your household have a disability? *
Are you currently serving in the military? *
Have you ever served in the military *
Is there anyone in your household who is currently serving or who has ever served in the military?
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Are you a victim of domestic violence? *
Are you facing an emergency regarding your personal safety? If yes, please visit www.mcedv.org to find a domestic violence resource center. *
Is your legal problem related to domestic violence (DV)? *
Who is the opposing party in your case? Please provide full legal first name, middle initial and last name *
Please enter the opposing party's date of birth (if known)
Please enter the opposing party's city/town of residence (if known)
Opposing party's attorney name and number (if known)
Is this case going through a specific court? *
Which court or agency?
Do you have a deadline? *
When is the deadline?
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What is the deadline for?
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If there are any minor children involved in this case, please include names and date of birth for each child below: *
Opposing party's annual income (Divorce and Parental Rights cases)
Who does/do minor child/children live with?
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Were you referred by a domestic violence agency? Which one? *
Do you have a protection from abuse (PFA) order? *
Is PFA for your protection only?
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Is PFA for children's protection?
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Is PFA against you?
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If this is a Divorce case, please answer these additional questions.  Have you lived in Maine for 6 months or more?
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Date of marriage:
Do you own real estate, either jointly or individually? Please also list other significant assets and debt.
For Divorce cases/Parental Rights cases, has either of you filed in court yet? If so, where and when.

I acknowledge and confirm that the above information is correct. I understand that providing false information may lead to termination of services. I give permission for this information to be shared with the Volunteer Lawyers Project attorney and staff.
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Please reading the following and indicate if you agree:                                                                            "I understand that the Maine Volunteer Lawyers Project is helping me talk to a lawyer about a Divorce or Parental Rights case. I understand that the volunteer lawyer I speak to may be able to give me some legal advice based on what I tell them. The VLP’s staff and volunteers may not be able to answer questions that go beyond how to fill out the court forms, how to serve them on the opposing party, and how the court process works in general. I understand that the VLP’s staff and volunteers will not be representing me after my appointments and will not be representing me in court. I understand that the VLP will not be able to provide me with a pro bono attorney except for when I speak to a lawyer at the clinic. I understand that the VLP cannot guarantee the outcome of my case. I understand that the lawyer helping me has told me that she or he does not know of any conflicts of interest affecting this representation and I know of none either. I understand that the lawyer helping me will not keep a file or any papers on my behalf. I have read this agreement and agree to its terms." *
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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