Center for Disability & Elder Law (CDEL)'s Resources
Published: June 6, 2022
FREE legal services may be available to qualifying candidates in the following areas of law:
? Housing:
- Landlord/Tenant Disputes, including: ~ Eviction Defense ~ Landlord-side Evictions ~ Security Deposit Disputes
- Property Taxes
- Title Correction
- Building Code Violation Defense
- Co-Owner Disputes
o Qualifications: The candidate must reside in or have the dispute in Cook County and meet income and asset guidelines depending on the program. Candidate may be eligible for brief legal advice even if they exceed CDEL’s income and asset guidelines.
? End of Life Planning:
- Last Will and Testament
- Living Will Declaration
- Powers of Attorney for Healthcare and Property
- Transfer on Death Instrument
o Qualifications: The candidate must reside in Cook County and meet income and asset guidelines.
? Consumer Disputes:
- Consumer Fraud
- Collections
o Qualifications: The candidate must reside in or have the dispute in Cook County and meet income and asset guidelines. Candidate may be eligible for brief legal advice even if they exceed CDEL’s income and asset guidelines.
? Simple Divorces
o Qualifications: The candidate must reside in or have the dispute in Cook County and meet income and asset guidelines. The divorce must not involve minor children, spousal support or real property and must not be contested.
? Adult Guardianship
o Qualifications: Must seek guardianship over a person, not an estate. The guardianship must be uncontested. The individual that guardianship is sought over must reside in Cook County. Individual seeking guardianship (proposed guardian) must meet income and assets guidelines or may be asked to pay the filing fees or possibly a processing fee to qualify for services.
Generally, applicants must have limited assets and a total gross household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). However, we determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis, so some applicants who exceed this income limit may still qualify based on other factors.