The Law Center provides certain types of limited legal assistance to active-duty military servicemembers, retired military servicemembers, reservists on active duty orders, their dependents, and certain other categories of personnel.
The primary services provided are: notarizations; consumer finance issues; family law matters; military rights under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act; naturalization and immigration advice and counseling; notary services; powers of attorney advice and drafting; simple estate planning; and unit pre-deployment briefs.
The Office offers an estate planning brief at 1330 on Tuesday and a divorce/dissolution brief at 1400 on Thursday.
The Office is in Building 852. Walk-in/New Client hours can be seen during the hours of 0800-1100 and 1300-1600 Monday through Thursday.
The Office line is 928-269-2481. The line is limited to general inquiries as to availability and scheduling. The Law Center is not permitted to provide legal advice telephonically.
The Legal Assistance Office is not permitted to assist with commercial business ventures, criminal matters, government ethics, or claims against the United States.
The Office cannot provide in-court representation.
Services are limited to individual eligible personnel; services are not provided to non-federal entities.
Conflicts: If the Legal Assistance Office has formed an attorney-client relationship with one person, we cannot advise another person with adverse interests. Another legal assistance office may be able to assist the other person.
The Yuma Legal Assistance Office does not assist with income tax preparation and filing. Servicemembers and spouses have access to free tax services at MilTax: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/miltax-free-tax-services/
Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 1044a and Chapter 9 of JAGINST 5800.7G, the legal assistance clerks can administer oaths and perform military authorizations.
All adjutants and assistant adjutants, all officers in the grade of O-4 or higher, and all commanding and executive officers have the same authority to administer oaths and perform military notarizations. All such personnel performing notarizations must complete the HQMC-prescribed notarial training and certification. The training can be found here.
[USMC Notary Training Slides]
[1044a Duties and Responsibilities Form]
[Certification of Training and Authorization to Perform]
A power of attorney allows someone else to act on your behalf or exercise your rights.
A special power of attorney (SPOA) grants another person authority to manage a specific power or powers that you have assigned. Here is one template. [Special Power of Attorney]
Several different versions of special powers of attorney can be found here at the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General website’s Special Powers of Attorney portal:
https://www.jag.navy.mil/legal-services/special-power-of-attorney/
Note that no one is required to accept a power of attorney. Many banks, businesses, and organizations have their own specific forms that must be used, and many have chosen not to accept powers of attorney at all. If possible, you should contact the organization where you are hoping to use the power of attorney, in order to ensure that you are following their requirements. Being as specific as possible in the authority you are giving to your agent can help to reduce the risk that your power of attorney will be rejected.
A child care or parental power of attorney allows you to appoint an agent to temporarily care for your minor children
It can be an important tool for dual military spouses and single parents.
A child care power of attorney is something to have in addition to your Family Care Plan – it gives the person you designate in your Family Care Plan the legal authority to care for your child.
It is often used by caregivers to:
Register children for school or daycare
Authorize medical treatment for the child when the parents cannot be reached to provide their authorization
A child care power of attorney does not grant legal or physical custody – those can only be granted by a court order. The Arizona state version of a Parental Power of Attorney form can be found here [Upload Form].
Divorce/Dissolution. Yuma County family law forms, including forms to petition for divorce, and respond to petitions for divorce, can be found here: https://www.azcourthelp.org/yuma-county-forms/family-law. The Legal Assistance Office’s divorce/dissolution brief, held on Thursdays at 1400 in the law center, is a prerequisite to schedule a consultation with a legal assistance attorney about a potential or pending divorce.
Spousal and Child Support. The Marine Corps’ interim family support standards are set in Marine Corps Order 5800.16, Volume 9, “Dependent Support and Paternity.” It can be found here: MCO 5800.16 Volume 9.pdf (marines.mil). If you are making a complaint of inadequate interim family support or responding to a complaint of inadequate interim family support, be sure you are looking at the current order.
Child Custody/Guardianship/Paternity. Yuma County family law forms, including forms to petition for child custody, guardianship, and paternity -- or to respond to such petitions -- can be found here: https://www.azcourthelp.org/yuma-county-forms/family-law.
Adoptions. The Yuma County Attorney assists prospective adoptive parents seeking to adopt minor children. Per the County Attorney’s website, you may contact the County Attorney office for an Adoption Application at (928) 817-4300 and 250 W. 2nd Street, Yuma, Arizona 85364.
https://www.yumacountyaz.gov/government/county-attorney/divisions-a-quick-look/criminal-division/adoptions
The Law Center offers an estate planning brief on Tuesday at 1330 that discusses basic estate planning considerations. Attendance at the brief is a prerequisite to requesting a will. The Office can assist only with simple estate planning; the Office cannot assist with complex estate planning.
In order to request a will, we require that the person attend the estate planning brief and provide us the following completed documents:
Will and General Power of Attorney Package (click here to view)
Services include:
Citizenship applications
Consultation on green card applications and issues
The Office cannot assist with complex immigration issues.
The Office can only assist persons who are service members or their military dependents (that is, those persons who are eligible for legal assistance services).
Active-duty servicemembers in the paygrades of E-4 and below may also be able to obtain free legal assistance for immigration/naturalization issues from the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Military Assistance Program (AILA MAP). For more details on this program, see here: https://www.aila.org/library/client-information
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