Center for Legal Services

Life Span's Center for Legal Services and Advocacy is staffed by our Co-Directors of Legal Services, staff attorneys, legal advocates and interns. Legal services are available in Spanish, English and Polish. All services are free and confidential. The Center serves residents of Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Criminal court advocates assist   domestic violence victims who seek criminal orders of protection and criminal prosecution of their abusers. Life Span staff accompany women to criminal court.  They provide support and information throughout the legal process in order to ensure appropriate treatment of battered women by the criminal legal system and effective implementation of the Illinois Domestic Violence Act (750 ILCS 60/).

Criminal
 Court
 Services

Working with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office and Hull House's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Project, Life Span provides legal information, advice and representation to victims pressing criminal charges at the centralized domestic violence court house located at 13th and Michigan Ave. Battered women who are at high risk for serious harm or who have been abused by a repeat domestic battery offender are selected by the State's Attorney's Office for participation in this project.

Target
 Abuser
 Call Project (TAC)

Attorneys with an expertise in civil court domestic violence cases provide direct legal representation in civil court to battered women. Life Span represents battered women in a full range of family law matters, including civil Orders of Protection, dissolution of marriage, custody and visitation, child support, post decree matters, and appellate work.  

Life Span's initial goal is to serve battered women who do not qualify for legal aid or who are experiencing emergency circumstances that necessitate immediate action.

Legal
 Representation

Life Span's bilingual attorneys and advocates provide civil legal services to victims of domestic violence who do not have legal status in of the United States. Life Span assists IMMIGRANT WOMEN with abusive husbands in obtaining orders of protection and in self-petitioning to remain in the United States.

Immigration
Project

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