Mid-Missouri Legal Services helps stop domestic violence in county

When local residents contribute to the Callaway County United Way one of the organizations they are supporting helps stop domestic violence.

The Callaway County United Way accomplishes this by contributing $6,000 last year to Mid-Missouri Legal Services, according to Kathy Richey Liddle, executive director of the Callaway County United Way.

Susan Lutton, executive director of Mid-Missouri Legal Services, says the agency uses the contribution to provide help to a greater number of people suffering from physical or mental abuse within a family.

Lutton said Callaway County has surveyed its needs and found a high incidence of domestic violence in the county.

Mid-Missouri Legal Services (MMLS) provides free legal advice and representation to individuals whose income is less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level.

"The income qualification amount varies, depending upon the size of the family. But the figure is very low. For example a single woman working at the minimum wage would not qualify for assistance if she worked more than 27 hours a week," Lutton said.

"The $6,000 contribution from the United Way is earmarked for domestic violence cases only and allows us to expand the income qualification for this purpose to people earning 150 percent of the federal poverty level. In Callaway County, that allows us to serve a lot more domestic violence cases," Lutton said.

Mid-Missouri Legal Services also has federal funding and still provides a wide range of free legal services for people earning less than 125 percent of the federal poverty level.

The program provides a lawyer to offer free legal services for cases involving family law matters, including domestic violence, divorce, paternity, custody, child support, consumer debt, housing evictions, health, public benefits, employment and elder law issues.

Mid-Missouri Legal Services has expanded its services to include educating low income Mid-Missourians about Missouri HealthNet Managed Care, formerly Medicaid, and advocating for them when benefits are denied or reduced.

Lutton said lawyers from the Mid-Missouri Legal Services work on civil legal matters. Criminal cases for indigent are handled through the Public Defender's office.

Attorneys from Mid-Missouri Legal Services come to the Callaway County Courthouse in Fulton at least twice a week and will meet by appointment with people needing their services.

"Mid-Missouri Legal Services serves 11 counties in Mid-Missouri. We have offices in Columbia and Jefferson City but our second biggest caseload for services is in Callaway County. I attribute a lot of that to the contribution of $6,000 we receive from the Callaway United Way. We really appreciate their contribution to our agency," Lutton said.

To contact the agency to determine eligibility and the range of free legal services offered, Callaway County residents can call the Columbia office toll- free at 1-800-568-4931. The toll charge number for the office is 573-442-0116. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Lutton said in one Callaway County case her office represented a women who had been abused by her husband, both physically and emotionally, for a long period of time. In 2008 her husband held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she did not borrow $5,000 from her parents and give it to him. The client borrowed the money from her parents in fear of being hurt by her husband. When she gave it to him, he became loud and aggressive. She tried to escape by locking herself in a bathroom but her husband knocked down the door and beat her for 10 minutes. He was arrested and Mid-Missouri Legal Services helped the woman obtain a protective order to prohibit her husband from coming near her. MMLS also helped her obtain a divorce and a change in her name.