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Our Services

Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (CVLAS) provides free civil (non-criminal) legal assistance to low-income people living in — or who have legal problems arising in — the cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights and Charlottesville, and the counties of Albemarle, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa, Nelson, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George and Surry.

CVLAS provides legal advice in most areas of civil law and provides legal representation in many areas of civil law.

Cases where we usually provide full representation

Consumer Law

  • Bankruptcy (no-asset Chapter 7)
  • Debt Collection Defenses in Court
  • Garnishment Protection (Bank Accounts & Wages)
  • Improper Venue
  • Payday Loans / Car Title Loans / Other Predatory Loans
  • Car Cases: Repossessions of Automobiles/Loan Deficiency Judgment Cases
  • Delinquent Property Tax Issues
  • Setting Aside Default Judgments
  • Mortgage and Reverse Mortgage Foreclosures
  • Mobile Home Ownership Issues
  • Debt Buyer Defenses
  • Rent-to-Own Issues

Wills and Powers of Attorney

  • Advance Directives (Living Wills)
  • Guardianships / Conservatorships
  • Powers of Attorney
  • Wills

Employment Law

  • Unemployment Compensation
  • Public Employee Grievances

Family Law

  • Domestic Violence and Family Abuse: Obtaining Protection
  • Uncontested No-Fault Divorce: Filing for Divorce on No-Fault Grounds
  • Child Custody and Visitation

Health Law

  • Medicaid
  • Medicare
  • Nursing Home Care and Discharges
  • Access to the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare)

Housing Law

  • Actions to Stop Evictions after Judgments: Motion to Quash Writ of Possession
  • Eviction Defense
  • Foreclosure Prevention
  • Housing Voucher Problems
  • Lockouts / Utility Cutoffs / Self-Help Evictions
  • Repair and Maintenance Problems
  • Security Deposit Recovery

Public Benefits

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefits (formerly Food Stamps)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Cases where we usually only provide legal advice include:

Consumer Law

  • Collecting Money or Recovering Property for Clients
  • Car Cases: Repairs or Warranties
  • Contract and Warranty Problems
  • Credit Problems: Credit Billings, Credit Denial, Credit Reporting Errors
  • Unfair and Deceptive Debt Collection and Sales Practices

Wills and Powers of Attorney

  • Administration of Estates
  • Estate Disputes

Employment Law

  • Wrongful Discharge
  • Employee Benefits: Family & Medical Leave, Disability Benefits, Pensions
  • Professional License Denial or Termination
  • Wage Claims: Non-payment of Wages
  • Wage & Hour Claims: Violations of Minimum Wage and Overtime Law

Family Law

  • Adoption
  • Annulment
  • Child Custody and Child Visitation
  • Child Support
  • Divorce Defense
  • Fault-Based Divorce: Filing for Divorce on Fault Grounds
  • Name Change
  • Paternity
  • Spousal Support and Equitable Distribution
  • Termination of Parental Rights
  • Avoiding or Reversing Administrative Finding of Child Abuse/Neglect

Health Law

  • Private Health Insurance

Housing Law

  • Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination
  • Landlord Problems: Abusive Access, Barring of Visitors, Landlord References

Public Benefits

  • Social Security
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Benefits

Cases we refer to other providers include:

  • Driver’s License Restoration
  • Education
  • Juvenile
  • Immigration
  • Post-Conviction Relief
  • Prisoners and Incarcerated Persons
  • Tax
  • Workers’ Compensation

CVLAS does not handle every request for assistance, but never charges a fee for its services. CVLAS does not handle criminal, traffic, personal injury, malpractice, property damage or cases where a private a lawyer could obtain a fee from the other side or from recovery.

For more information, please read about the Virginia Farmworkers Program