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Rights of Maine Renters: Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

Sometimes landlords react to sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking by taking action against the victim. There are state and federal laws that can help if this happens to you.
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How to Handle Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Overpayments

SSI benefits are the benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that come on the 1st of the month. If SSA finds that you have gotten too much money in your SSI benefit, they will send you a Notice of Overpayment.
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Maine Sexual Assault Resources: Consent and Maine Law

What is consent? Consent is when you give permission for something to happen. Consent is an important part of sex. A person’s consent to a sexual activity should be:
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Sexual Assault in the LGBTQ+ Community in Maine: You can get help

Sexual assault affects many members of the LGBTQ+ community. Many Maine organizations work to serve the needs of LGBTQ+ survivors.
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Maine Sexual Assault Resources: Child Sexual Abuse & Normal Child Sexual Behavior

How do I know if my child’s sexual behavior is normal or a sign of abuse?  As a caregiver, you may be worried about a child if they start displaying sexualized behaviors. Your instinct may be to think something has happened to the child, but that is not always the case. Some child sexualized behavior is healthy.
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Maine Sexual Assault Resources: Sexual Assault and Schools

If you (or your child) have been sexually assaulted at school, there are laws that can help protect you. One of the most important laws is called Title IX (Title Nine). Title IX says that schools that get federal funding cannot discriminate based on sex. This includes almost all elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. Title IX says that… More
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Can I get a protection from abuse order if I am a survivor of sexual assault?

Yes! Usually to get a Protection from Abuse (PFA) Order, the abuser and survivor need to be family or household members or dating partners. Pine Tree Legal Assistance helps survivors of sexual assault get PFA orders across the state of Maine. Contact your local sexual assault advocacy center to connect to our services!
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Protection from Abuse in Maine: Getting Ready for Your Hearing & Next Steps

Many Protection from Abuse cases are handled without a lawyer. If you believe that the other side will have a lawyer, or if there are complicated issues involved in your case, you may be better off with a lawyer. Need to start at the beginning of the process? Read the first part of our guide: Protection from Abuse in Maine: First Steps &… More
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Maine Child Protection: What happens when DHHS investigates a household?

This is the second part of our guide to Child Protection proceedings in Maine. It covers what can happen when DHHS investigates a household because they believe that a child may be at risk of being harmed.
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Maine Child Protection: What does DHHS do when they get a complaint of child abuse?

This guide is the first in a series about what happens when DHHS gets involved with families. This guide covers the very first steps in the Maine Child Protection process - our other guides cover later parts of this process. If you are in a situation where DHHS is becoming involved with your family, start here.