Family Legal Care

Conclusion

Family Legal Care meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Purpose

Stated Purpose:
Family Legal Cares mission is to increase access to justice in New York State Family Court. We combine legal guidance, easy-to-access technology, and compassionate support to help unrepresented parents and caregivers self-advocate on critical family law issues, while working on reform that improves the system for everyone.

Our organization was founded inside the Manhattan Family Courthouse in 1996, where we answered questions and distributed Know Your Rights pamphlets from a table in the lobby. Before Family Legal Care, sources of information or guidance for pro se litigants in the Family Courts were essentially nonexistent despite the overwhelming need for this information: over half a million parents and caregivers come to Family Court in New York State each year, and 80% come without a lawyer. Due to decades of underfunding, Family Court is overburdened and under-resourced. Unrepresented litigants may have mere minutes in front of a judge to decide on issues with incredibly high stakes, like child support, custody and visitation, and domestic violence. This could mean a parent having enough child support money to put food on the table or a safe place for their child to live. 

Today, we are the only legal services organization dedicated solely to empowering parents and caregivers to represent themselves in Family Court. Our limited-scope representation model is the only one of its kind in New York. Unlike other legal services organizations, we do not restrict services by income level, case type, or client demographics. We serve litigants with a case in New York Family Court no matter where they currently live, including out-of-state and international litigants. Our services are always free. Because the Family Courts are overburdened and understaffed, it can be hard for litigants to find caring support. One of our guiding principles is to provide compassionate care so litigants feel heard, understood, and confident in their ability to advocate for their families in Court.

Year, State Incorporated:
1996, NY

Programs

Legal Consultations: Pro se litigants meet with a Family Legal Care staff attorney for about an hour to receive in-depth advice and counsel to prepare a case. Many return for follow-up advice and support.

Family Law Information Services: Our Telephone, Email and Live-Chat Helplines are the primary point of entry for legal support and guidance. Helpline services are available in English and Spanish, and we use a translation service for callers who speak additional languages. We also provide legal information in-person at NYCs borough Family Courthouses.

Pro Bono Program: This unique program leverages the resources and legal experience of the private bar. Clients receive legal advice from Family Legal Care-trained volunteer attorneys on their mobile devices or computers, eliminating the need for long-distance trips to the courthouse and mitigating expensive burdens like taking time away from work and securing childcare. 

Legal Resource Guides (LRGs): Our 60+ unique guides cover a range of family law issues in nine languages. They are available in courthouses and through community partners.

Legal Education and Community Outreach: We work with community partners to present virtual family law clinics in English and Spanish. We prioritize outreach to key constituent groups with specific needs, including: veterans/active military service-members; Spanish-speaking and immigrant families; currently/previously incarcerated parents; and domestic violence survivors. 

Digital Justice Initiative: We have developed innovative tools that address the gaps in the Family Courts online resources. Family Law Navigator builds a customized report that can be a helpful starting point for people beginning to address their family law issue. Our Guided Court Forms make it easy for litigants to understand, complete, and upload essential court documents from any web-connected device without a computer or extra PDF-editing software. 

Tech Hubs: At our Brooklyn, Queens, and Bronx Tech Hubs, we help pro se litigants impacted by the digital divide to access the hybrid court system. Litigants who may not have access to technology, a stable internet connection, or a private space can conduct their virtual hearings and upload documents related to their case.

For the year ended September 30, 2024, Family Legal Care's program expenses were:

Governance & Staff

Chair of the Board
Gabriella Nawi

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Yellow Arrows LLC

Board Size
18

Fundraising

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Grant proposals, Internet, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.)

Tax Status

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

Financial

The following information is based on Family Legal Care's audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2024.

Source of Funds

Programs: 79% Fundraising: 11% Administrative: 10%