Legal

Northwestern Legal Services

Northwestern Legal Services provides legal assistance to individuals who cannot afford to hire an attorney and meet certain income guidelines.

Services

The types of services they provide are:

  • Telephone Advice
    • Landlord / Tenant issues (tenant only) Debt Collection
    • Sheriff Sales Welfare Issues
    • Custody Questions Child Support Issues (petitioner only)
  • Cases Scheduled for Appointment
    • Public Benefits Housing Issues
    • SSI
    • Public Housing
    • Unemployment Compensation
    • Section 8 Housing
    • Welfare
    • Subsidized Housing
  • Family Law Issues Education Issues
    • School Expulsions
    • Special Education Hearings
    • Custody Contempt
    • Child Snatches
    • Protection from Abuse (Petitioners only)
  • Consumer Self-Help Clinics
    • Bankruptcy
    • Custody
    • Utility Terminations
    • Divorce

Central Intake Unit's Client Line

*Individuals requesting service must call the Central Intake Unit's Client Line at 800-665-6957.

  • Appointments Only

Public Defender

Furnishes quality legal counsel to any person who is charged with a qualified criminal offense, and, for lack of funds as determined by office guidelines, is unable to obtain legal counsel. Eligibility for the Venango County Public Defender services is based on federal poverty guidelines, household income, household assets and responsibilities and the nature of the charges.

The Public Defender Act authorizes the Office of the Public Defender to provide legal counsel in the following matters:

  • Where a person is charged with juvenile delinquency
  • Critical pretrial identification procedures
  • Preliminary hearings
  • State habeas corpus proceedings
  • State trials, including pretrial and post-trial motions
  • Superior Court appeals
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court appeals
  • Post conviction hearings at the trial and appellate levels
  • Criminal extradition proceedings
  • Probation and parole violation hearings
  • Involuntary commitment under the Mental Health Procedures Act
  • Any proceeding where personal liberty is in jeopardy