About LSE

Contact Us

How to Get Help from LSE

LSE Offices

How You Can Help LSE

Legal Library

Web Links

Links to Other Organizations and Information

There are many organizations in Maine who may be able to help you. Some of them are listed below. Or, look on our Programs in Other States page.

Legal Services in Maine

• Consumer Health Law Program
• Disability Rights Center
• Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
• Maine Civil Liberties Union
• Maine Equal Justice Project/Partners
• Maine Lawyer Referral Service
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• Volunteer Lawyers Project

Advance Health-Care Directives

• Aging: Taking Care of Business Office of Elder Services

Aging-Related Services in Maine

• Office of Elder Services
• Maine Alzheimer's Association
• Maine Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
  Area Agencies on Aging:
• Aroostook Area Agency on Aging
• Eastern Agency on Aging
• Senior Spectrum
• Seniors Plus
• Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Aging-Related Services Outside of Maine

• Eldercare Locator 

Bankruptcy

• Bankruptcy American Bar Association Public Education Division
• Bankruptcy-What Does It Mean?  Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• Frequently Asked Questions United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Maine

Caregiving

• Administration on Aging 
• Family Caregiver Alliance 
• National Alliance for Caregiving 
• National Family Caregivers Association

Consumer Links

• Maine Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Page
• Better Business Bureau
• Consumer Action Handbook
• Consumer Credit Counseling of Maine
• Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information Page
• National Consumer Law Center
• National Fraud Information Center
• FirstGov for Consumers
• ABA Guide to Consumer Law American Bar Association Public Education Division
• Maine Attorney General’s Consumer Law Guide Maine Department of the Attorney

Consumer Fraud, Scams and Telemarketing

• Are You A Target of Telephone Scams?  Federal Trade Commission
• Avoiding Credit and Charge Card Fraud Federal Trade Commission
• Catch the Bandit in Your Mailbox Federal Trade Commission
• Charitable Donation$: Give or Take Federal Trade Commission
• Ditch the Pitch:  Hanging Up on Telephone Hucksters Federal Trade Commission
• How to Avoid Mail Order and Telephone Fraud Maine Attorney General’s Consumer Law Guide
• What To Do If You’ve Become The Victim Of Telemarketing Fraud National Consumer Law Center

Debt Collection

• Debt Collection in the Maine Courts Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• Knee-Deep in Debt  Federal Trade Commission

Disability Rights

• Maine Disability Rights Center
• U.S. Department of Justice A.D.A. Home Page
• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Domestic Violence / Elder Abuse

• ABA Commission on Domestic Abuse
• ABA Commission on Law and Aging
• Maine Adult Protective Services
• Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence
• Minnesota Center Against Violence & Abuse
• National Center on Elder Abuse
• National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
• Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in Licensed Facilities Office of Elder Services
• Protection from Abuse: How the Law Works in Maine Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• What is Elder Abuse?  The Basics National Center on Elder Abuse

End of Life Care and Advance Health Care Planning

• Aging with Dignity
• Caring Connections
• Consumer's Took Kit for Health Care Advance Planning
• Finding Our Way: Living With Dying in America
  A source for comprehensive practical information and resources regarding end of life issues
• Growthhouse
• H.E.L.P.
• Hospice Foundation of America
• Maine Hospice Council
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization 
• On our Own Terms
• U.S. Living Will Registry

Estate Planning

• Estate Planning and Probate National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• ABA Guide to Wills & Estates American Bar Association Division for Public Education
• Planning Your Estate American Bar Association Section of Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law

Food Stamps

• Food Stamps Program Overview  Maine Equal Justice Project  (includes interactive forms to calculate the amount of food stamps you could get)
• How to Apply for and Use Food Stamps Bureau of Family Independence , Maine Department of Human Services

Funeral and Burial Planning

• Funeral Consumers Alliance
• National Funeral Directors Association Consumer Resources Page
• Selected Independent Funeral Homes
• Funerals: A Consumer Guide Federal Trade Commission

General Elder Law

• American Bar Association Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• National Senior Citizen Law Center

Grandparent Visitation

• Grandparent Visitation Rights Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Guardianship / Conservatorship

• Adult Guardianship, Conservatorship: Questions and Answers   Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Elder and Adult Services

Health Care

• Consumers for Affordable Health Care
• Families USA
• Health Care Coach 
• Healthfinder 
• H.E.L.P. 
• National Health Law Program 
• Accessing Hospital Care Consumers for Affordable Health Care
• Your Right to Free Hospital Care  Pine Tree Legal Assistance

Health Insurance

• Maine Bureau of Insurance 
• Maine State Health Insurance Assistance Program

Housing

• H.U.D. 
• Maine State Housing Authority 
• National Housing Law Project 
• How to Get Your Security Deposit Back (with forms) Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• Rights of Tenants in Maine Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• What Can I Do if My Landlord is Trying to Evict Me? Pine Tree Legal Assistance (includes forms for defense)

Legal Terminology

• Glossary--The ABCs of Law American Bar Association Division for Public Education
• Legal Glossary AARP
• Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law FindLaw

Living Trusts

• Law & Aging Series: Trusts National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Living Trusts Offers: How to Make Sure They’re Trust-worthy Federal Trade Commission
• Understanding Living Trusts and Avoiding Living Trust Scams National Consumer Law Center
• Tips for Seniors on Living Trusts (NCLC)
• What the Salespeople Don't Tell You About Living Trusts Timothy L. Takacs, Certified Elder Law Attorney
• Living Trusts: Arranging How You Want Your Property Managed Before and After Your Death AARP

Long Term Care

• American Health Care Association
• MaineCare Page Bureau of Family Independence
• Maine Long Term Care Ombudsman 
• National Association for Home Care
• National Center for Assisted Living
• Your Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Care Financing Administration
• Nursing Home Compare  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(interactive on-line tool that provides information about all Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes in the U.S. )

Long Term Care Insurance

• Avoiding Fraud When Buying Long-Term Care Insurance: A Guide for Consumers and Their Families The Consumer Law Page Alexander, Hawes & Audet, LLP
• Consumer Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance Maine Bureau of Insurance
• Long-Term Care Insurance-Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Maine Bureau of Insurance

Medicare

• Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare: Choosing a Medigap Policy Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services
• Medicare & You 2006 Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services
• Medicare Supplement Comparison Chart Maine Bureau of Insurance
• Need Help Paying Out of Pocket Medical Expenses?  Office of Elder Services

Medicaid

• MaineCare Page Bureau of Family Independence

• U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration

Prescription Drugs

• Directory of Prescription Drug Patient Assistance Programs Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
• Maine Low Cost Drug Program for the Elderly and Disabled Maine Equal Justice Project
• Prescription Drug Assistance: A Guide for Maine Elders and Adults with Disabilities

Property Tax Relief

• I Can’t Pay the Taxes on my House: What Can I Do? Pine Tree Legal Assistance
  • (links to form)
• Property Tax and Rent Refund Office of Elder Services

Public Benefits

• Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool  Social Security Administration (interactive form that identifies Social Security programs that you may be eligible for) 
• Benefits Check-Up National Council on Aging
• General Assistance in Maine Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
• Social Security Retirement Benefits Social Security Administration
• You May Be Able to Get SSI Social Security Administration

Reverse Mortgages

• Reverse Mortgages Page  AARP
• Tips for Consumers on Reverse Mortgages National Consumer Law Center
• Top Ten Things to Know if You’re Interested in a Reverse Mortgage U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Small Claims

• A Guide to Small Claims Proceedings in the Maine District Court State of Maine Judicial Branch

Social Security

• Social Security Administration
• How to Cope with Social Security Overpayments Pine Tree Legal Assistance
• A Guide for Representative Payees Social Security Administration
• Social Security Retirement Benefits Social Security Administration
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) ElderLawAnswers
• What to Do When a Beneficiary Dies  Social Security Administration
• What You Need To Know When You Get Retirement Or Survivors Benefits Social Security Administration
• When Your Social Security Benefits Are Taken to Pay Back Money to the Federal Government  National Consumer Law Center
• You May Be Able to Get SSI Social Security Administration

Taxes

• Maine Revenue Services
• IRS

Utilities

• Guide to the Rights and Responsibilities of Residential Utility Customers Maine Public Utilities Commission
• What are My Rights with My Electric Company?   Maine Equal Justice Project

Veterans

• Department of Veterans Affairs
• National Veterans Legal Services Program
• Bureau of Maine Veterans' Service