Multi-County Clients Council

Community Survey-Service Providers

2007 Community Needs Survey

COMMUNITY SURVEY
2007 KENTUCKY LEGAL NEEDS SURVEY
Legal Aid Society, Inc.  416 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.  Louisville, Kentucky 40202

The Legal Aid Society, Inc. provides civil legal services for low-income individuals in this area. We are interested in knowing what you believe are the most serious legal problems facing the poor people in our community. Your answers will be used to help establish priorities for legal assistance to low-income Kentuckians. Please help by taking a few moments to give us your thoughts and by dropping the completed survey in the envelope provided. Thank you for your time and help!

Based on your experience in working with low-income individuals and families in our community, please check the areas/issues that are most critical for free legal services to be available.

1. Utilities

0 a. Water
0 b. Telephone
0 c. Gas
What type of problem did he or she have?
0 a. Inaccurate bill or dispute over bill
0 b. Cut-off or threat of cut-off of the utility 0 d. Electricity
0 e. Other:


0 c. Deposit dispute
0 d. Other:

2. Employment

0 a. Getting paid (wage claim)
0 b. Job safety and health condition 0 c. Other:


3. Housing

Subsidized Housing

0 a. Getting into public or Section 8 housing
0 b. Eviction
0 c. Security deposits

Private Landlord/Tenant

0 a. Eviction
0 b. Deposits 0 d. Conditions/repair problems
0 e. Other:




0 c. Conditions/repair problems
0 d. Other:

4. Home Ownership

0 a. Foreclosure
0 b. Getting a clear title to the home
0 c. Qualifying for credit 0 d. Mobile home title
0 e. Other:


5. Health Care

0 a. Hospital requiring admission deposit
0 b. Denial of services
0 c. Dispute over accuracy of medical bill
0 d. Access to mental health care 0 e. Doctors or pharmacies not accepting Medicare, Medicaid, or medical assistance patients
0 f. Other:

6. Education

0 a. School discipline
(suspension/expulsion)
0 b. Handicapped or special education
(learning disability or behavioral
disability) programs 0 c. Other:


7. Benefits Programs

0 a. K-TAP
0 b. Food Stamps
0 c. Social Security Disability
0 d. SSI
0 e. VA benefits
0 f. Unemployment insurance 0 g. Medicare
0 h. Medicaid/Passport
0 i. LIHEAP
0 j. Pension benefits
0 k. Black Lung
0 l. Other:

8. Family Law

0 a. EPO/domestic violence order
0 b. Divorce for victims of domestic violence
0 c. Divorce without abuse
0 d. Guardianship
0 e. Adoption
0 f. Paternity
0 g. Visitation (obtaining)
0 h. Visitation (changing) 0 i. Child support (obtaining)
0 j. Child support (changing)
0 k. Child custody (obtaining)
0 l. Child custody (changing)
0 m. Maintenance/alimony
0 n. Child dependency/neglect/abuse
0 o. Termination of parental rights
0 p. Other:

9. Consumer

0 a. Problems with bill collectors
0 b. Bankruptcy
0 c. Denial of credit
0 d. Repossessions/deficiency problems
0 e. Unfair sales practices/predatory lending
practices 0 f. Garnishment of wages
0 g. Student loans
0 h. Problems with check cashing business
0 i. Problems with home repair
0 j. Other:

10. Developmentally or Physically Disabled Individuals

0 a. Guardianship
0 b. Securing employment
0 c. Transportation
0 d. Vocational rehabilitation 0 e. Securing housing
0 f. Involuntary commitment procedures
0 g. Other:

11. If your client(s) is a member of a group or organization, has he or she needed assistance with any of the following?

0 a. Organizational structure and planning, incorporation and bylaws
0 b. Tax:
0 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
0 IRS report
0 Payroll or personnel issues
0 Contracts drafting or review

12. Other problems that your client(s) needed help with:

0 a. Problems with nursing homes
0 b. Needed a Will/Power of Attorney/
Living Will written
0 c. Licenses (auto/other) 0 d. Immigration/naturalization
0 e. Personal tax problems


Please describe what types of problems they were:


13. What are the three most pressing legal problems in your community?

a.
b.
c.

14. Please check any area below in which your client(s) experienced discrimination due to sex, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or family status.

0 a. Employment
0 b. Housing
0 c. Health care
0 d. Education 0 e. Public benefits
0 f. Family law
0 g. Consumer


15. If your client(s) experienced any of the problems listed above, how would you rate the problem?
0 Extremely important
0 Very important
0 Important
0 Annoying, but not that important

16. If your client(s) experienced any of the problems listed above, did he or she seek legal help?
0 Yes 0 No

17. If he or she did not seek legal help, what was the reason?
0 Thought nothing could be done–it is just the way things are
0 Did not have money to pay for lawyer
0 Did not know who to contact for legal help
0 Friends or family members advised it was not worth pursuing
0 Thought the problem might become worse by involving a lawyer
0 Did not want other people to know about his or her problem
0 Problem was not that important to him or her
0 Other reason:

18. Was your client(s) aware of the legal help that might be available through Legal Aid Society?
0 Yes 0 No

19. Did your client(s) seek help from Legal Aid Society? 0 Yes 0 No

20. Did Legal Aid Society help your client(s) with his or her problem? 0 Yes 0 No

21. Did your client(s) seek legal help from any other place? 0 Yes 0 No
If so, where?

22. In what county do you live?

23. What agency are you with?

24. Are you a:

0 a. Judge
0 b. Attorney
0 c. Social Worker
0 d. Legal Services Staff Member 0 e. Staff Member of a Non-profit Organization
0 f. Legal Services Board Member
0 g. Other:

25. Comments:



We would like to contact a random number of persons completing this survey to ask some additional follow-up questions. If you are willing to be contacted, please provide your name and a phone number where we could contact you:

If you have additional comments, please write to Jeffrey Been, Executive Director, at the address below.

Thank you!

Legal Aid Society, Inc.
416 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.
Louisville, Kentucky 40202