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Legal Aid, ABLE, et al., to kick off “Legally Speaking” series
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) will be presenting an 11-week speaker series, Legally Speaking. The presentations are scheduled for each Wednesday beginning March 15 and continuing through May 24, with identical one hour presentations at noon and 6:00 p.m.
Each week will feature a new presentation by a number of attorneys from ABLE and LAWO. Presentations will cover a variety of legal issues affecting people in the area and are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available.
Low-Income Taxpayer Issues is the first presentation, scheduled for Wednesday, March 15. ABLE Attorney David Koeninger will inform attendees about dealing with the IRS beyond the tax filing deadline, including such issues as audits, examinations, frozen refunds, and more. Koeninger will also offer last-minute reminders about filing and will touch on topics like Earned Income Tax Credit and Refund Anticipation Loans.
For the fourth consecutive year, ABLE has been awarded a grant by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to operate a LITC to help low-income taxpayers in northwest and west central Ohio resolve tax controversies with the IRS and to provide tax information to workers for whom English is a second language (ESL). The service is free to eligible applicants.
According to Koeninger, “The IRS understands that it can be difficult to comply with all of its requirements for claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or using other provisions designed to assist low-income taxpayers,” says Koeninger. “Sometimes an individual has a tax controversy merely because he or she didn’t understand what information to provide to the IRS. That’s why the IRS funds programs like the LITC.”
While the ABLE LITC does not assist low-income taxpayers in preparing tax returns, the LITC does provide free, year-round legal advice and representation.
Other presentations in the series include:
Domestic Violence on March 22, presented by LAWO attorneys Mary Ellen Heben and Tonya Robinson;
Divorce, Custody and Child Support on March 29, presented by LAWO attorneys Mary Ellen Heben and Tonya Robinson;
In Debt on April 5, presented by LAWO attorneys Bob Comes and Mark Lindberg;
Landlord/Tenant on April 12, presented by LAWO attorneys Mary Ellen Natale, Sarah West, and Veronica Zoltowski;
Immigration on April 19, presented by ABLE attorney Mark Heller;
Public Benefits on April 26, presented by ABLE attorney David Koeninger and LAWO attorney Janelle Phifer;
Home Ownership/Predatory Lending on May 3, presented by ABLE attorney Richard Alston and LAWO attorney Ed Marks;
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Overview on May 10, presented by ABLE attorney Sandy Hamilton;
Employment Law on May 17, presented by ABLE attorney Priya Travassos and LAWO attorney Julita Varner; and
Elder Law on May 24, presented by LAWO attorney Mark Lindberg.
These presentations are scheduled for each Wednesday beginning March 15, 2006 and continuing through May 24, with identical one hour presentations at noon and 6:00 p.m., at the downtown branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, 325 N. Michigan Avenue, in the Sky Bank Meeting Room. For more information about Legally Speaking, contact Legal Aid at 419-930-2517 or the library at 419-259-5209.
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