BALS has been selected by the Fishing Lawyers Association (FLA) to be the recipient of proceeds from its first annual Spring Fundraising Dinner.  FLA is a nonprofit established by local attorneys to raise money for charitable causes through social events for lawyers, judges, and law students who are interested in fishing.  The Spring Dinner, scheduled for Thursday, March 22, 2012, at the A La Carte Event Pavilion, is FLA’s first fundraising event.  The event will feature live and silent auctions for fishing and outdoor items, including local area fishing trips; a raffle for fishing and outdoor items; and guest speakers from the legal and fishing community.

Tickets are $75 for private attorneys and $50 for government attorneys, judges, and law students.  To reserve tickets, contact Lance Curry at lcurry@hwhlaw.com.  For more information about FLA, the Spring Dinner, and future FLA fundraising events, go to FLA’s website (www.fishinglawyers.org) or its Facebook page.

Elsa was physically disabled after a car accident and had to take strong medications due to severe back pain.  Her sole source of income is her Social Security benefits.  For more than 10 years, Elsa has used a service animal to help her wake up.  Her little dog would bark and bother Elsa until she woke up if the door bell rang or an emergency alarm sounded.  Recently, the landlord instituted a no pet policy.  Elsa was told that she must remove her dog from the building.  She contacted BALS for help.  Her BALS’ attorney, served the landlord with a reasonable accommodation request that included medical documentation confirming Elsa’s need for medication and the use of a service animal.  In the meantime, Elsa and her dog moved out of the building and she had to make arrangements to stay with friends or family while the matter was pending.  The landlord refused the request and the parties went to mediation.  Her  BALS’ attorney, successfully negotiated the renewal of Elsa’s lease and the reinstatement of her service animal.

Jane applied to BALS for assistance in obtaining a divorce after being separated from her husband for several years.  Her husband had been abusive to her during the marriage, including battering her during her pregnancy with sufficient force that she had to be hospitalized for several days.  For much of their marriage Jane’s husband had a serious drug abuse problem.  While her child was still very young, Jane moved out of the marital home to ensure her and her child’s safety.  With assistance from BALS’ attorney, Jane obtained a divorce judgment which gave her sole parental responsibility for her child and prohibited her husband from having any time sharing with the child until he successfully completes a batterer’s intervention program, as well as substance abuse treatment.

Maternal grandparents, Sherry and Matt, have cared for their three minor grandchildren for many years.  They applied to BALS for assistance in adopting the children.  BALS’ attorney, , agreed to handle the adoption.  The youngest child has a different father than the older children.  The children’s mother and the father of the older children agreed to surrender their parental rights, but the other father, who was in prison, refused and contested the adoption.  The father had been in prison during most of the child’s life, but had some contact with him when the child was an infant.  The court granted the adoption of the older children, but continued the adoption of the youngest and scheduled a hearing to allow the father to participate in the proceedings from prison.  With Sherry and Matt in her office, the BALS attorney contacted the father before the hearing to request his consent.  This time he agreed and signed the adoption papers.  The family now has permanency and stability and is more financially secure due to their eligibility for increased Social Security benefits.

Belinda is a young mother of two who has lived in public housing for eight years.  After failing to pay her rent she received a notice for nonpayment.  The notice provided that she had two weeks to pay.  It also stated that she had 30 days to contest the action through the Housing Authority’s grievance procedure, and specified that the Housing Authority will not take any further action to terminate the lease until the later of “the time within which you may request a grievance hearing has expired” or “if you have requested a hearing, until the completion of the grievance process.”  Sixteen days after Belinda received the notice, the Housing Authority filed an eviction action.

Belinda applied to BALS’ St. Petersburg office for help.  Her BALS’ attorney, filed a motion to dismiss and asserted that based on the date of the notice, the date rent was supposed to be paid each month, and the relevant terms of the notice, the Housing Authority had filed the eviction action too soon.  In the meantime, Belinda was able to deposit two month’s rent prior to the date of the hearing.  At the hearing, the Housing Authority attorney acknowledged that the eviction action was filed too soon and the court dismissed the case.

Lucy and Mike applied to BALS several years ago after a foreclosure action was filed against them.  At the time, their sole household income was Lucy’s Social Security benefits because Mike was unable to work after he was diagnosed with cancer.  BALS’ attorney, assisted Lucy with filing an answer, but was unable to do more to help them because they could not qualify for a loan modification due to their lack of income.  Several months later, Mike applied to BALS when his request for disability benefits was denied.  Assisted by BALS’ paralegal, Mike successfully appealed the decision and began to receive his monthly benefits.  With the additional income, the couple applied for a loan modification.  After more than a year, the lender approved the modification which reduced their mortgage payments and enabled them to keep their home.

Sophia is a physically disabled woman who lives alone.  She became disabled after suffering injuries in a car accident and she has difficulty using the stairs to her third floor apartment.  She often felt like a prisoner in her own home because she could not make the climb up and down the stairs.  Sophia contacted BALS’ Wimauma office to seek assistance.  BALS’ attorneys, Greg Grossman and John Salgado, obtained medical documentation from Sophia’s doctor establishing that because of her disability she should be transferred to a first floor unit.  They submitted a reasonable accommodation request for a cost-free transfer.  Within a short time, the request was granted and Sophia moved to a first floor apartment without paying a transfer fee and with a refundable security deposit.  However, while her request was pending, Sophia missed a rent payment when her benefit check, her sole source of income, was lost in the mail.  She received a notice of nonpayment and faced possible eviction.  Greg and John submitted another request asking that the landlord not file an eviction and adjust the rental due date to allow her to pay the rent as soon as the lost check was found.  The landlord granted the request and Sophia’s housing was preserved.

Chloe had been married to Dan for more than ten years and they had four children together.  For many years Dan had been abusive to Chloe, sometimes in front of the children.  With assistance from BALS’ Family Law Team, Chloe filed for divorce.  Although Chloe wanted nothing more to do with her husband, she recognized that the children needed to have their father in their lives.  During the course of the divorce proceedings, Chloe asked Dan to spend time with the children, or at least have contact with them by phone.  But he refused to call them and failed to pay any child support.  At the final hearing, after hearing testimony and considering Dan’s petition requesting shared parental responsibility, the judge awarded Chloe sole parental responsibility and 100% time sharing.

As a member of BALS’ Centralized Telephone Intake (CTI) Unit, I have the privilege of assisting the program in its very important mission of “Preserving Independence, Hope and Dignity” for low-income people living in Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.  For many of our clients, their initial appointment with BALS is scheduled through our CTI Unit.

Those of us who conduct intake appointments strive to properly screen clients for program eligibility, identify legal issues, provide appropriate legal advice and counsel, and refer cases expediently for further action, to be handled with the resources available through BALS and our regional partners.  We are guided and supported by our experienced and dedicated Team Leaders.

Every applicant has his or her own unique story.  No client’s case is the same as any other.  (On the rare occasion when we begin to think one is, we quickly learn otherwise.)  We have to listen very carefully.  There is a lot of information and facts we have to gather in a limited amount of time.  There may be deadlines involved.  It is crucial that we provide as much legal advice and information to our clients as possible because some are experiencing a crisis that requires immediate attention.

From that initial call forward, the entire BALS team continues to work tirelessly with our clients to help them achieve their goals and to provide every client with the professional advocacy skills, compassion, and focus that each deserves.

Some say, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Along those lines, we at BALS believe, “It takes a team to preserve independence, hope and dignity.”  I am proud to be part of the BALS team.

Submitted by Lois Sears, Centralized Intake Attorney, Family Law

It was an unexpected privilege to attend last Friday’s holiday lunch for BALS staff.  Cheerful, warmly formal dress and greetings defined the room of employees I have just recently met.  I’m on an eight week temp assignment working with the Development Director, Beth Eppley.  During my work time at BALS, instead of sitting unnoticed in a dank corner, I’ve been introduced to everyone and made to feel welcome every day by those I’ve met.  At the holiday lunch (a workplace event usually limited to permanent employees) I was re-introduced to everyone and sat with some wonderful people who, combined, were the sum total of those that make up BALS.  I sat near my officemate (as I have at any number of other office parties), but also nearby was my boss.  We were joined by private attorneys from local firms who sat right down with us.  The attorneys not only participate in various committees dedicated to support BALS, but also generously donate their personal time and funds.  I was told that the group was representative of those employed at BALS.  So this room was it.  The people that made the difference for those like the lovely woman (Yolanda Lee) sitting next to me.  She is part of all this, being one of the “survivors”.  Our conversation was about her second (not her only) book, newly out in print, about her experience.  Collected in the room were many in this legal community who pull together every day to resolve extremely tough personal and legal challenges faced by clients who can’t afford to pay for assistance.  It was clear to me that everyone at the party cares for each other and does for each other.  My lasting impression of the event will include the awards presented to the employees with longevity milestones.  Most likely everyone at the lunch is close to one of these longtime employees who has worked for BALS for 25, 30, and even 35 years.  All this says a lot about BALS, its character, and my good fortune to be here.

Submitted by Betsy West