Client Services
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation offering pro bono legal representation and preventive law education to low income families, including immigrant families. We accept clients in the greater Indianapolis metro area whose income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
We provide legal representation to those who qualify based on their income in the following civil areas. Please be aware that we do not accept criminal or divorce cases.
- Landlord/Tenant
- Guardianship
- Custody/Visitation (Please note, we take a very limited number of contested custody cases)
- Immigration
- Bankruptcy
- Child Support
- Housing/Foreclosure
- Wills/Estates
- SSI/SSD
- Discrimination
- Consumer/Debt
- Tax Controversies
- Other civil areas
If you have not yet been accepted as a client of the Clinic, but you wish to speak to an attorney, you will need to come to one of our intake locations. We are unable to answer legal questions online or over the telephone. We provide Spanish interpretation at all our intake sites, but if you do not speak English or Spanish, you may bring your own interpreter.
Our intakes are on a first come, first served basis, so you do not need an appointment. Please be aware that it is important to arrive early or as close as possible to the registration time listed, as space is limited; given time constraints, our attorneys can only see 5-10 persons during each intake period.
Please bring to your intake any relevant documents about your case and proof of your financial status (information regarding your weekly, monthly or annual income).
If you are already a client and have a new issue, you will also need to attend a new intake session. You may also receive a telephone recording of these time and locations by calling: (317) 429-4131.
HUD HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCY
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic is a certified Housing Counseling Agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and operates under the umbrella of National Council of La Raza (NCLR). We provide one-on-one counseling services and group education in English and Spanish for homeowners and potential homebuyers through our Housing Counseling Program (HCP). We provide housing counseling in the areas of pre-purchase, post-purchase, foreclosure, mortgage delinquency, loss mitigation, renter assistance/Section 8 and public housing, money/debt management, fair housing and homeless assistance. We are particularly effective because we not only counsel our housing clients, but also represent our clients through litigation when needed in these areas.
Indiana is facing a foreclosure crisis. One in every 196 homes in Indiana is in foreclosure today and Marion County accounts for 50% of all Indiana foreclosures. Moreover, this crisis is just beginning: thousands of area families have loans scheduled to reset to higher rates in the coming years, which will cause monthly payments to increase as much as triple the original rate.
*If you are delinquent on your mortgage, please call (877) GET-HELP or come to one of our intake sites.
*If you are concerned that you will be delinquent on your mortgage in the future or your mortgage lender requires you to receive a certification that you received pre-purchase housing counseling or a workshop prior to buying a home, please contact: our office (317) 429-4131.
LOW INCOME TAXPAYER CLINIC
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic is a recognized Low Income Taxpayer Clinic with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). We provide legal representation for low income clients in tax controversies with the IRS. We also host English as a second language (ESL) educational outreach programs to inform low income and immigrant taxpayers of their tax rights and responsibilities.
IMMIGRANTS IN CRISIS PROGRAM
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic represents low income immigrants in crisis situations to receive immigration protections which include legal status, work authorization, and in many cases, legal permanent residence. We assist victims of violent crime, human trafficking, domestic violence, as well as persons who were persecuted in their country of origin because of their political and/or religious beliefs or because of their race, ethnicity, or membership in a particular social group.
*If you, or someone you know, is a victim of human trafficking, please call our office at (317) 429-4131 or call 211.
PREVENTIVE LEGAL EDUCATION
The purpose of our Preventive Legal Education workshops is to assist low income families to avoid or mitigate legal problems by giving them critical information that empowers them to make positive choices and understand their legal rights and responsibilities.
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic's Preventive Legal Education workshop presenters are attorneys and business professionals who are experts in the subject area of their presentations. The Clinic hosts workshops on many different topics, including: Tax, Housing, Foreclosure Prevention/Predatory Lending, Family Law, Consumer Issues, Healthy Relationships, Criminal Procedure, Traffic Law, Social Security and other critical issues.
Empowerment Workshops
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic's Empowerment workshop series serve area homeless and domestic violence shelters. We also conduct workshops for neighborhood associations, community groups, and churches. If your organization is interested in partnering with our clinic or if you would like to schedule a workshop, please contact our office at (317) 429-4131.
Las Clases de Poder
Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic's Las Clases de Poder workshops are directed toward our Spanish-speaking neighbors and are held in a variety of settings, including churches, ESL classrooms, and Community Centers in the Indianapolis area. If your organization is interested in partnering with our clinic or if you would like to host a workshop, please contact our office at (317) 429-4131.
PRO SE FAMILY RECONCILIATION PROGRAM
The Family Reconciliation Program at Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic provides an opportunity for two parties involved in a family law dispute to come together, talk, and reach their own solution. It is the chance to sit down with a facilitator, an impartial third-party, to talk about what is happening. The facilitator does not decide who is right or wrong – their job is to facilitate productive conversation that creates an environment where the parties can form mutually agreeable solutions to their current issues.
Our volunteer facilitators are available to help parties with issues concerning establishment of paternity, child custody, parenting time, and child support and/or making any modifications in those areas. The program does not accept any divorce cases or cases in which a significant history of domestic abuse would compromise the reconciliation process.
Mediation provides a timelier and more convenient alternative to seeking Court solutions since agreements can often be reached quicker than waiting for a court date and mediation sessions are scheduled at a time convenient for you. Parties are also able to have more control over the outcome and are more likely to follow through with the requirements of an agreement that they helped to craft.
In order to be considered for the Family Reconciliation Program, in addition to Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic’s income guidelines, both parties must be voluntary and be willing to form an agreement. Parties also cannot have seen a lawyer from the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic both prior to signing up for services and any point afterward because of conflict of interest. Clients must understand that they are not receiving any legal advice from Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic through the Family Reconciliation Program. If you are interested in the program, please contact our office at (317) 429-4131.
