Section XII
LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Q. XII.1 How can a youth obtain legal representation? What free legal options may a youth pursue?

Q. XII.2 If a youth is in a group home or foster care, can he/she seek their own lawyer?

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Q. XII.1 How can a youth obtain legal representation? What free legal options may a youth pursue?

A. If a young person has to appear in Family Court, a law guardian will be appointed by the court to represent him/her. In addition, there are a limited number of free legal services available to young people. Some places to start looking are: Legal Aid, The Door (NYC), Statewide Youth Advocacy (Albany). You may wish to call the Bar Association in your community for information about what services are available free of charge.

Q. XII.2 If a youth is in a group home or foster care, can he/she seek their own lawyer?

A. When a youth first goes into foster care, a lawyer is assigned to him/her. In New York City, these lawyers usually work for either Lawyers for Children or the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society. Although there are other law guardian programs in the state, many law guardians are appointed directly by the Family Court to represent the young person.