Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.

From the Director's Desk

Staff at Three Rivers, at this time, live with uncertainty about funding, training, hiring, salaries and many other factors that determine job stability and satisfaction. Fortunately, we are armed with a staff of people who care about what happens to poor people, homeless people, abused families, hungry people, disabled people and unemployed people. With this caliber of staff, we can make it through the tough times as an organization; we can make changes that will help us work more efficiently and we can try even harder to effectively serve our clients. Many people do not understand that victory for legal service workers will not mean a high number of billable hours or making senior partner. Victory for legal service attorneys means that families can stay in their houses and we may be able to get someone benefits that allow her to go to a doctor, escape an abusive partner or rent a place to stay. We celebrate our victories and meet our challenges with confidence and enthusiasm. We ask volunteers to join us in supporting the rights of those without the financial means to access justice. We are looking for Justice Partners and you can be one of them.

We encourage you to volunteer at least 20 hours of pro bono legal assistance or alternatively, to make an annual contribution of at least $350 to a legal aid organization. We appreciate all your efforts to help us meet our challenges.

Good Outcomes

Gainesville - Domestic Violence

Recently, our Domestic Violence Unit had the opportunity to represent a family in the midst of their crisis and provide them with a sense of safety and security.

A mother was in jeopardy of losing her four minor children to the father; the person at whose hands she had suffered years of abuse and violence. Following an incident of domestic violence, the mother and children were displaced to a domestic violence shelter. Soon after, the father filed an emergency motion to have the children removed from the mother with law enforcement assistance.

TRLS was informed of her plight 48 hours prior to the hearing and decided to step in. In response to the father's motion, TRLS was able to prove that the safety of the children was not at issue. Accordingly, the Judge granted our request to dismiss the motion; which allowed the children to remain with their mother. In addition, the mother was also able to obtain a temporary injunction for protection against domestic violence to further protect herself and her children.

The mother is currently in the process of filing for dissolution of marriage with the assistance of TRLS. We will continue to work toward gaining the best result for this family from the proceedings while taking their best interests into account.

Jacksonville - Unemployment Benefits

A teacher of 23 years with the same private school was wrongfully terminated on the advice of the school's attorney who was attempting to cover up an act of negligence by the school which had almost resulted in injury to several young students. The employer tried to convince the parents that the teacher, who was not present, was the responsible party, claiming that had she been present the negligence would not have occurred. The employer was represented at an unemployment appeals hearing by counsel and several witnesses. We rebutted all arguments and won unemployment benefits for the teacher who was summarily terminated after 23 years without notice, severance, and without a reference. 

Lake City - SSI Benefits & Domestic Violence

We represented a client in an application for SSI benefits, who was also our client in a domestic violence matter. Her husband died before the requested divorce was finalized. The client was living with her adult children at the time, but moved back into the home they had shared after his death. When he passed away the mortgage payments were in arrears. TRLS was able to obtain a favorable decision and she will receive retroactive benefits from SSI over the next 18 months totaling more than $13,000. Since the death of her husband, she will also receive widow's benefits of approximately $900 per month off his record in addition to the retroactive SSI benefits of $2,022 per month. In obtaining this favorable decision, she was able to keep her home and save herself from becoming homeless.  

Your support makes possible our continued success in bringing justice to low income residents throughout North Florida. Thank you for all you do.

Allison Thompson, Executive Director
Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc.

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