HELENA (KPAX) — Housing affordability and availability have remained major concerns across Montana over the last few years, and that’s put added pressure on people dealing with evictions. The Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) released a report this week, highlighting some of the ongoing impacts for people who went through the eviction process during the COVID-19 …
Grandparent Rights
Do you know what Montana law says about Grandparent Rights? Most grandparents have contact with grandchildren through the child’s parent. Parents can choose to limit or cut off contact between grandparents and grandchildren. There are two ways for a grandparent to ask a court to allow contact with a grandchild. You can learn about them …
MT launches $1 million family mediation program
The state of Montana has allocated nearly $1 million to help settle domestic cases before they ever get to court. The Montana Family Transition Project is for couples who are separating and have children. The program offers mediation, a formula for calculating child support, and legal advice for parents who need a parenting plan as …
Did you know MLSA works with HUD to help Montanans facing eviction?
MLSA was a recipient of the HUD Eviction Protection Grant, which helps MLSA empower low-income Montanans through free legal information, advice, and representation. Housing attorney Daniel Webster recently shared an informative overview of our services as well as Montana Tenant-Landlord Law. For our legal tip this week, we want to share this Housing Presentation Video …
?Our New Website is Live?
We are thrilled to share that our new and improved website, MontanaLawHelp.org, is now live! MontanaLawHelp.org is MLSA’s virtual front door where Montanans can find free materials for solving legal problems on their own, download court forms, search for community providers, and apply for legal services. Our focus for the redesign was to make it …
Will-in-a-Box
Most Native Americans in Montana own some tribal trust land. That land is usually divided into small shares. When a trust land owner passes without a will, a Probate Judge decides what happens to the land based on complicated rules. Those rules can sometimes leave younger children without any land. In other cases, the Tribe …
Education Rights
The McKinney-Vento Act is a federal law created to support students who are: sharing housing with extended family or friends; staying in motels or campgrounds; staying in shelters or transitional housing; and sleeping in cars, parks, abandoned buildings, substandard housing. Students’ rights and required services include: Immediate school enrollment, even if students do …
Free Family Mediation
The Montana Family Transition Project, a partnership between MLSA and the Office of the Court Administrator, is a free family mediation program for separating couples with children. The program offers mediation, child support calculation, and legal advice for parents needing a parenting plan as part of their family law case. Mediation is an out-of-court way …
Client Newsletter September 2023: Renters’ Rights, Free Family Mediation, and more
Click on the headline to read our quarterly client newsletter. This month we discuss renters’ rights, free family mediation opportunities, have updates about eviction assistance in Montana, and more.
Did you know there is a new law to protect pregnant workers?
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) is a federal law that went into effect June 27, 2023. It protects employees who have limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Some examples of reasonable accommodations include: Being able to sit or drink water; Receiving closer parking; Having flexible hours; Receiving uniforms and safety apparel …