Introducing Legal Aid of WV’s Kinship Connector, where you can get free legal information and help with paperwork for adoption, guardianship, and temporary care agreements.
Our Kinship Connector is a free resource for kinship caregivers, like grandparents or other relatives caring for children in their family. The Kinship Connector can help caregivers compare options for formalizing custody of children and fill out necessary paperwork.
The process is simple. Answer questions about your situation. Get information about the types of kinship care. Start forms for kinship care. Type answers to step-by-step questions to complete forms. Download, print, and file your paperwork.
This tool provides information and makes it easier to fill out forms. If you have questions about your specific situation, you should seek legal help.
This tool is not meant to help when the children are involved in an abuse and neglect case in court.
It has come to the attention of Legal Aid of WV that there may be an active scammer claiming to work for our organizations to gain credibility for their scam attempts.
In light of this news and abundance of caution, we want to share our statement on our staff and services.
Legal Aid of WV provides services to our clients free of charge. We will never ask for payment for our services. If you are not eligible for a fee waiver, there may be some costs involved in filing documents in court. When paying those court costs, it will be made clear to you that the money is used for filing; you will be given a receipt, and we do not use those payments as a form of income for our nonprofit law firm.
If you receive a call or other form of communication from someone claiming to be with Legal Aid of WV that you were not expecting, do not give them any personal information.
If they provide a name, phone number, or any other information, write it down if you can.
If they do not, you can report the scammer to law enforcement or the West Virginia Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808 or by using the Consumer Complain Form at https://ago.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx. If the scam is targeting a WV senior citizen, you can also report it to the Senior Protection Hotline at 304-558-1155.
*It is possible this information is no longer relevant*
Below is information about COVID-19 vaccines, shared from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Today, the Department of Health & Human Services announced that people with Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, private insurance coverage, or no health coverage can get COVID-19 vaccines, including the updated Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, at no cost, for as long as the federal government continues purchasing and distributing these COVID-19 vaccines.
That means those that still need a COVID-19 vaccine can get one for free for now.
For resources to help educate the public about COVID-19 vaccines visit the HHS We Can Do This campaign.
People can visit vaccines.gov (English) or vacunas.gov (Spanish) to search for vaccines nearby.
LEGAL AID OF WEST VIRGINIA & THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE BAR CONGRATULATEFROST BROWN TODD, RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 PRO BONO LAW FIRM AWARD
“Attorneys at Frost Brown Todd pursue pro bono work they believe in, and it shows. They are passionate about helping vulnerable people navigate complex legal problems. ”
Frost Brown Todd is a full-service law firm with more than 500 lawyers operating in 15 markets across nine states and Washington, D.C. The Charleston, West Virginia office was established in 2007 and is led by Member-in-Charge Carte Goodwin. The Charleston office has strong ties to every major industry in the region, from health care and manufacturing to energy, insurance, and industrial hemp production.
At its core, Frost Brown Todd is a service-oriented organization. They are committed to being both powerful advocates for their clients and difference makers in their local communities. The work they do is grounded in a strong sense of civic responsibility, and one of the ways they honor this responsibility is by devoting significant time each year to pro bono cases and projects. During 2021, Frost Brown Todd attorneys in the Charleston Office donated over 120 hours of pro bono service to Legal Aid of West Virginia clients, helping with property and housing cases to stabilize living situations and drafting wills for vulnerable West Virginians.
About the Pro Bono Law Firm Award
Legal Aid of West Virginia’s Pro Bono Law Firm award is presented to the law firm in West Virginia that has provided the most hours of pro bono representation to West Virginians during a given year.
LEGAL AID OF WEST VIRGINIA & THE WEST VIRGINIA STATE BAR CONGRATULATESPILMAN THOMAS & BATTLE, RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 DISTINGUISHED PRO BONO AWARD
“Spilman Thomas & Battle has a long-standing commitment to pro bono and their attorneys are active in and believe in the firm’s mission to give back.”
Spilman Thomas & Battle is a full-service, super-regional law firm serving local, regional, national and international businesses. The firm has seven offices located in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina and lawyers admitted to practice throughout the country. The firm was founded over 150 years ago with a strong focus on providing innovative, client driven solutions.
Spilman also encourages their lawyers to make a difference in their community, with members serving as civic leaders, mentors for young people, participants in church councils, and volunteers for neighborhood activities. In 2021, Spilman attorneys also used their professional talents to donate over 70 hours of pro bono assistance to Legal Aid of West Virginia clients, with significant time spent helping families adopt children.
Spilman Thomas & Battle previously received the Pro Bono Law Firm Award in 2016.
About the Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award
Legal Aid of West Virginia’s Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award recognizes a lawyer or law firm whose pro bono efforts in a given year have gone “above and beyond” the call of duty and are deserving of special recognition.
WEST VIRGINIA STATE BAR CONGRATULATESJOHN HEDGES, RECIPIENT OF THE 2022 KAUFMAN AWARD
“ John is always eager to offer a legal hand to help; from simple wills to complex civil litigation, the knowledge and assistance he provides to pro bono clients is an invaluable asset.”
Upon graduation from the West Virginia University College of Law, John Hedges began his legal career in Charleston, West Virginia in 1984 as a law clerk for Justice Darrell V. McGraw, Jr. with the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. Upon completing his clerkship, John opened his own law firm in Charleston, where he practiced from 1986-1994. In 1994, John moved his practice to Morgantown. In 2011, he was a founding member of the law firm of Hedges & Lyons where he practiced until he retired in 2018. During his career, John engaged in diverse civil ligation and appellate practice with a focus on employment law, government civil rights and tort liability, and insurance coverage litigation. He has also served as Counsel for the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners , co-authored several judicial bench books and manuals relating to various areas of the law, and assisted with the most recent revision of the West Virginia State Bar Constitution & Bylaws.
Pro bono service and assisting low-income and vulnerable West Virginians has always been an important part of John’s legal practice. While John practiced in Morgantown, he regularly volunteered to help victims of domestic violence seek protection orders. His firm, Hedges & Lyons, received the Pro Bono Law Firm Award in 2017. Since his retirement in 2018, John has become a regular volunteer for Legal Aid of West Virginia’s Elkins Office. In 2021, John donated over 400 hours of pro bono assistance to represent Legal Aid clients with property and housing issues and drafting wills.
About the Kaufman Award
The Kaufman Award is awarded in recognition of a West Virginia lawyer who has provided outstanding work pro bono publico and is presented to the individual attorney who has done the most pro bono work during the past year by providing free civil legal services for the low income citizens of the state. The Award is named after Paul J. Kaufman, who was a leading public interest lawyer prior to his untimely death. Mr. Kaufman’s son, Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Tod Kaufman, presents the award to the recipient.
The Legal Services Corporation recently announced that Legal Aid of West Virginia (LAWV) is among 12 legal aid organizations across the U.S. that will receive a Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant. LSC’s Pro Bono Innovation Fund is intended to encourage and expand pro bono efforts and partnerships to serve more low-income individuals with civil legal issues.
In West Virginia, the grant will support LAWV’s efforts to transform its statewide pro bono program to bring in more volunteers to meet the high priority legal needs of low-income West Virginians. After completing a statewide evaluation of pro bono services, a new pro bono supervising attorney will help lead LAWV’s efforts to develop replicable statewide pro bono projects and better integrate technology to deliver free services throughout the state.
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said, “Ensuring every West Virginian has access to legal aid is vital. I am pleased the Legal Services Corporation is investing in the Legal Aid of West Virginia pro bono program to provide low-income West Virginians with legal services, and I will continue to advocate for resources that support every West Virginian in their time of need.”
Please note: As of 2022, our Community Navigators are no longer active.
Legal Aid of WV now has Community Navigators who can assist low-income West Virginians, particularly those who lost jobs due to COVID-19, with completing forms, reviewing applications, and processing requests. Community Navigators will work with clients from June 1 to August 20, 2021 and can help with:
Public benefits
Unemployment
Mountaineer Rental Assistance Program
Taxes (including child tax credit)
Other programs available to low-income West Virginians
There are four Community Navigators in total, serving all 55 West Virginia counties.
West Virginia State Bar Congratulates Steven R. Broadwater, Jr., Recipient of the 2021 Kaufman Award. Originally from Charleston, Steven R. Broadwater, Jr. graduated from Bethany College with a B.A. in Political Science in 2007 and from the West Virginia University College of Law in 2010. He began his practice of law at the law firm of Hamilton, Burgess, Young and Pollard in Fayetteville upon his admission in 2010. His practice focuses on protecting consumers from debt collectors. As an attorney, Steve has experience with various consumer issues including credit card debt, personal loans, auto loans, home loans, student loans and debt consolidation.
Steven has donated over 120 hours of pro bono time to represent Legal Aid of West Virginia clients in 21 bankruptcy and consumer cases over the past year or so. He has volunteered regularly with Legal Aid since 2015. During that time, he has assisted Legal Aid clients with bankruptcy and consumer issues in over 50 cases helping low income West Virginians better understand how to move forward financially after experiencing stressful financial situations.
The Kaufman Award is awarded in recognition of a West Virginia lawyer who has provided outstanding work pro bono publico and is presented to the individual attorney who has done the most pro bono work during the past year by providing free civil legal services for the low income citizens of the state. The Award is named after Paul J. Kaufman, who was a leading public interest lawyer prior to his untimely death. Mr. Kaufman’s son, Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Tod Kaufman, presents the award to the recipient.
Legal Aid of WV and the West Virginia State Bar Congratulate the Monongalia County Bar Association as Recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Pro Bono Award
Established in 1897, the Monongalia County Bar Association (MCBA) has grown to become an active and congenial fraternity of practicing attorneys and judges in the county. The MCBA offers a monthly CLE, awards an annual scholarship to local high school students, and supports other organizations through fundraising and volunteerism.
Since the pandemic, members have raised funds to provide a holiday party for nursing home residents, to donate lunch to essential workers at local hospitals, and to donate to the local domestic violence shelter for its clients and their families. The current leadership is amplifying community service efforts through its 2021 MCBA Gives Back Initiative, organizing regular volunteer opportunities for members and continuing its fundraising for local programs.Over the years, its members have also regularly assisted low-income and other vulnerable individuals and families through Legal Aid of West Virginia and WVU College of Law. In 2020, MCBA attorneys provided over 384 hours of pro bono service in 81 Legal Aid cases. Many of these hours were provided through the Domestic Violence Assistance Project, which provides legal assistance to petitioners at final protective order hearings. Legal Aid of West Virginia’s Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award recognizes a lawyer whose pro bono efforts in a given year have gone “above and beyond” the call of duty and are deserving of special recognition.
