Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT)

Description

Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT) is an award-winning nonprofit organization in New York City dedicated to empowering unrepresented litigants with legal information and compassionate guidance so that they can successfully advocate for themselves in the Family Court system, regain their stability, and decrease the likelihood that they will return to the Courts. Each year LIFT serves nearly 35,000 low-income families coming through the Family Court system which, with little resources, oversees hundreds of cases pertaining to the lives of children, including child support, custody, and family violence. A staggering 95% of the families LIFT serves do not have legal representation.

LIFT's programs encompass several complementary strategies, all of which empower unrepresented litigants to advocate for themselves in Family Court. They include programs operating inside the Courthouses in all boroughs except Staten Island - the Help Centers and Education & Information Sites - as well as programs available in the community: the Family Legal Center and the Family Law Information Telephone and Email Hotlines. LIFT also produces 36 original multilingual Legal Resource Guides, available in eight languages at all programs and on our website. LIFT also conducts the Family Court Judge for a Day Program, and engages in participant-driven system-wide reform and public policy efforts.