Life is not always fair or easy. A single mom knows that better than most people. It’s a struggle to keep up with running the home and taking care of the family. The task only gets harder when others try to take advantage of you or infringe on your rights.
While a lot of people call their lawyer when they feel that they are not being treated fairly, many single moms don’t have the luxury of paying for legal advice and action in their budget. Luckily there are other ways of handling legal problems than initiating a court action.
Define the scope of the Problem
Identify your problem and start you search for legal assistance in that specific area. If you are renting and feel that the landlord is treating you unfairly or even stepping over the limits of the law, read your lease. Obtain a copy of the landlord/tenant laws of your area to make sure that the problem is, indeed, a legal matter and not a misunderstanding.
Once you are convinced that legal intervention is needed, contact the local housing authority. They can give you direction on what course to take and what resources are available to you.
If your problem is a harassment caused by a neighbor or a neighbors pet, call your local law enforcement agency. If an officer can’t help you because no law has actually been broken, they can often refer you to a local branch of government who can help you solve your problem. For instance, the zoning department may be able to help you convince your neighbor that a dangerous tree should be removed or that a fence must be repaired.
Animal control can help if you are being kept up nights by a dog that howls without let up, or escapes the neighbors fenced in yard to terrorize the neighborhood on a regular basis.
If the situation is beyond the scope of these circumstances and you find you absolutely need a lawyer to defend your rights, ask the agency most closely related to your problem if they can refer you to representation that you can afford.
Call the department of social services in your area and ask if you qualify for legal assistance. If you don’t qualify, ask if they know of any other options available to you.
Sometimes you need a lawyer, but sometimes legal problems can be addressed by other means. Explore all of your options before you pay out legal fees.
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