Texas residents anticipate receiving their Federal Stimulus payments after the federal government passed the CARES Act. With Texans expecting to receive upwards of $1,200.00 there was concern about debt collectors and their ability to freeze consumers’ bank accounts. The Texas Supreme Court issued its 10th Emergency Order to stop most actions to collect consumer debt until May 7, 2020. I […]
Common questions related to eviction in Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. I heard that Landlords weren’t allowed to evict people in Texas right now. Is this true? Yes and No. A landlord may file in court to evict you right now but courts cannot hold a hearing to decide the matter until after April 30, 2020. In other words, you […]
April is the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Month. The goal of the month is to educate the public on specific housing issues so that if they are facing them, they can seek help. Why April? On April 11, 1968, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and Title VIII of that law is known […]
Houston, TX – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Texas State Senator Carol Alvarado, and Harris Country Judge Lina Hidalgo are hosting a Spanish language Townhall on Wednesday evening at 7 pm. The Townhall will be moderated by Raul Peimbert of Univision’s Noticias 45 Houston and will focus on Coronavirus, particularly for Latino and immigrant communities at the Federal, State and County level. […]
As many of you are aware, many counties in Texas have issued stay-at-home or shelter in place orders. As a result, parents might be wondering how that affects co-parenting their children. These are the top questions we are receiving right now. What about the court-ordered visitation in place for my family? How will pick up and drop off of my […]
PRICE GOUGING What if I have been a victim of price gouging? According to a news release published by the Texas Attorney General, “any person or business selling goods must be aware that they are prohibited by law from engaging in price gouging if they unreasonably raise the cost of necessary supplies at any point during a declared disaster,” said […]
A reverse mortgage is a special type of home loan that lets you convert a portion (or all) of the equity in your home into cash. Only people over age 62 or older can get a reverse mortgage. The difference between a reverse mortgage and a traditional home loan – is that borrowers don’t have to pay it back. How […]
Austin, TX – 90 year old retired nurse, Louise Moore, is relieved that her Medicaid and SNAP benefits will continue after office closures prevented her from getting her recertification documents in on time. Ms. Moore worked as a nurse for over 30 years starting Panora General Hospital, then going to Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital before ending her career as a charge […]
If there is a universal language everyone speaks, it’s money, and the lack of it is a familiar and ever-present obstacle for most people. In the United States, borrowing money is all but inevitable if you want a car, a house, tuition money, or even something as simple as a mattress. Credit is not only helpful but necessary in the […]
Lone Star Legal Aid is available and accepting online applications for all of its offices. We hope that our client community is safe and managing well during these ever-changing and uncertain times. We are continuing to monitor the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic across our service area and Lone Star Legal Aid’s work continues with all operations running virtually. This means we are […]
Lone Star Legal Aid está aceptando solicitudes por teléfono para asistencia legal en todas las oficinas. Para solicitar ayuda, llame al 1-800-733-6394. Lone Star Legal Aid está monitoreando de cerca la pandemia de COVID-19 / Coronavirus en nuestra área de servicio de 72 condados. Publicaremos avisos emitidos por líderes estatales y nacionales, agencias gubernamentales y proveedores de recursos en nuestro sitio web […]
If you’ve received a surprise bill after a trip to an emergency room you thought would be covered by insurance, it’s a result of something called balanced billing. Balance billing occurs when an insured patient receives care from a physician, hospital or other health care provider, who is not part of a patient’s health plan provider network. The out-of-network provider […]
National Consumer Protection Week is the Federal Trade Commission’s week-long campaign aimed at educating consumers about their rights to help them make well-informed decisions about money. Lone Star Legal Aid joins the FTC with a consumer-focused blog series to be pushed out throughout the month. Stay tuned to learn about more about: Payday & Title Loans; Reverse Mortgages; Repair Fraud After […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid and Pro Bono Net, funded by Rebuild Texas Fund, launched a web-based app that guides disaster-recovery assistance providers and their clients through the process of applying for recovery assistance. The app’s name is “DART,” for Disaster Assistance and Recovery Tool. It’s free and accessible through one of the many organizations partnering with LSLA […]
Lone Star Legal Aid’s Military Veterans Unit will be hosting a Criminal Record Clearing Clinic on Friday, January 31, 2020, at their office located at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030 in room 4B-249 on the 4th floor. Lone Star Legal Aid is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy on behalf […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid will be at the Town Hall being hosted by Counsel Member Amy Peck from District A at 6:30 PM, Wednesday, January 29, 2020, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located at 4703 East Shadowdale Drive, Houston, Texas 77041. The location has been set up as an American Red Cross […]
Houston, Texas – Lone Star Legal Aid, a free civil legal aid provider; Combined Arms, a one stop shop for Veterans resources; and SBP USA, a team focused on fortifying people against unnecessary suffering, have joined forces with Bob Woodruff Foundation grant funds to find and refer veterans to one another. BWF’s key focus areas are education and employment, quality […]
Houston, TX – Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week aims to warn the public about tax ID thieves and IRS impostors. Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security Number (SSN) to file a phony return and claim your refund. IRS impostors are scammers who pretend they are calling from the IRS claiming you owe taxes and demand immediate […]
Houston, TX – Lone Star Legal Aid’s Shrushti Kothari, Disaster Relief Unit Staff Attorney, collaborated with Pro Bono Net in their creation of “Figuring Out FEMA,” a project they worked on with Center for Urban Pedagogy and designed by Carmen Lopez. “Figuring Out FEMA” is a pocket-sized visual resource for disaster survivors. The project is part of Center for Urban […]
In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, all Lone Star Legal Aid offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, 2020. All offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, during normal business hours. Have a safe and joyous holiday!