Eligibility
The focus of legal assistance is force readiness, by providing pre-deployment services to active duty personnel, and in particular junior Marines (E5 and below). Services will be provided in the following priority categories:
- Active Duty members, in pre-deployment status
- Dependents of active duty personnel in 1 above
- All other Active Duty personnel and their dependents
- Retired or retained personnel, and their spouses, on a space available basis.
Hours of Operation Monday through Friday 0730-1630
Notary public Anytime during regular hours.
Powers of Attorney (POA) Anytime during regular hours.
Wills (and POA)
- Mandatory brief: Monday and Wednesday, check in at 0945
- Will signing ceremony: Monday and Wednesday, check in at 1245
Appointments and walk-ins Call (252) 466-2311/2361 to schedule appointment for following week.
Walk-ins Check in no later than 0800. Walk-ins will be seen according to the priority categories above. Operational requirements and staffing constraints may further limit the number of walk-ins.
Be sure to bring all documents that pertain to your question (contracts, bills, receipts, leases, court documents, etc) - the name and contact information of all persons involved.
Services Provided
A Legal Assistance attorney CAN assist with: simple wills and estate planning; debt collectors; credit reports; door-to-door sales; landlord issues; small claims court; uncontested separation and divorce; family support obligation; adoptions; and immigration.
In such cases, what can a legal assistance attorney do for you?
Depending on the issue, the attorney may:
- Provide education regarding the law,
- Provide advice on how to proceed, what (not) to do next,
- Make phone calls or write letters to the interested parties,
- Help refer the question to civilian counsel in the appropriate jurisdiction,
- Help filling out important documents,
- In limited circumstances, prepare legal documents.
A Legal Assistance attorney CANNOT:
- Assist you in criminal matters (UCMJ or out-in-town, parking tickets, citations); appear in court; claims against, or issues involving, the government (IRS, BCNR, medical claims); administrative matters (investigations, Article 138 complaints); business or professional issues; complex wills and estate planning (e.g. supplemental and other trusts,)
- Appear before a court or administrative board on your behalf,
- Take ownership of your issue and make it go away. Even with an attorney, you will likely have to take many or even all steps yourself,
- Act as a mediator in separation/divorce cases,
- Represent opposing parties (e.g., both spouses in separation or divorce,)
- Provide advice over the phone.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE:
- Ch 7, JAGMAN (JAGINSTR 5800.7E)
- Ch 14 & 15, LEGADMINMAN (MCO P5800.16A)
- Recurring Legal News article in Windsock