Support Links
The Custody Project hopes the following links improve your family's welfare and safety, and are beneficial. However, The Custody Project does not endorse, have any responsibility for, or exercise control over the views, services, and information of these organizations and agencies, and TCP gives no warranty, guarantee or promise as to their authenticity, verifiability, accuracy, effectiveness, wisdom or truth, nor is The Custody Project responsible for their content. Links are updated from time to time, and we have every reason to hope they are beneficial references and resources which will lead to others of use. If you have a link to share, please contact us.
- California Protective Parents Association
- PO Box 15284
- Sacramento CA 95851-0284
- 866.874.9815
- www.protectiveparents.com
- The Mission of the California Protective Parents Association is to protect children from incest and family violence through research, education, and advocacy.
- California Women's Law Center
- 5670 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 460
- Los Angeles CA 90036
- 323.951.1041
- 323.951.9870, Fax
- www.cwlc.org
- Information extracted from their website states that The California Women's Law Center works to ensure, through systemic change, that life opportunities for women and girls are free from unjust social, economic, and political constraints. Referrals and resources, including for custody, are provided statewide but no direct assistance is offered.
- Court Reporter's Board of California
- Department of Consumer Affairs
- Transcript Reimbursement Fund
- 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, #230
- Sacramento CA 95833
- 877.327.5272
- 916.263.4690, Paula Bruning
- 916.263.3660
- 916.263.3664, Fax
- www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov
- You may qualify for reimbursement of your transcripts if you are indigent, in pro per, or have a pro bono attorney, have a civil case, and meet their criteria. Limited funds are available for pro per cases. Check with your state's court reporter's board to see if a similar program is available, if you do not have a case in California.
- Defenders of Children
- PO Box 10128
- Phoenix AZ 85064
- 602.710.1903
- 602.710.1906, Fax
- www.defendersofchildren.org
- The mission of this Arizona child advocacy agency is "to provide assistance on a case-by-case basis to abused (or allegedly abused) children where there is compelling evidence of ongoing abuse or denial of rights. Defenders works to ensure the safety of children and their rights to a healthy living environment. Our mission, further, is to provide an educational outreach to adults and child welfare professionals most likely to intervene and ensure that child abuse will be prevented.
- Funded Justice
- No Address, Telephone Number, or Price Shown for Services
- https://fundedjustice.com
- Funded Justice, per the site, is a crowdfunding platform for anyone with a legal issue who needs money to hire an attorney or fight a social justice issue. "Funded Justice was created to level the scales of justice and to help people raise the funds they need to right social injustices." To find the address, telephone number, and price for services, try visiting the site directly.
- Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law
- 3250 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 710
- Los Angeles CA 90010
- 213.388.7505, Admin
- 213.388.7515, New Client / Legal Services (1:30 - 4:30, M-H)
- 213.388.7503, Fax
- info@hbcfl.org
- http://www.hbcfl.org
- The Harriet Buhai Center, a family law / domestic violence project designed to meet the needs of poor persons in Los Angeles County, provides support, information, resources, and legal assistance. Their mission: "We protect victims of domestic violence and improve the well-being of children living in poverty. With the help of volunteers, the Center provides free family law assistance and legal education to the poor. We strive to empower people in need and assure them meaningful access to the courts."
- Justice for Children
- 6750 West Loop South #120
- Bellaire, TX 77401
- 800.733.0059
- 713.225.4357
- 713.225.2018, Fax
- www.justiceforchildren.org
- In prior years, information obtained has included that Justice for Children, a national nonprofit organization of citizens concerned about children's rights and their protection from abuse, provides assistance to callers navigating the child protective and legal systems, and advocates for children failed by the system. Information more recently extracted from their website states that JFC was founded in response to the inadequacies and failure of (the) child protective system to protect abused and neglected children. Their purpose is to advocate and intervene on behalf of the abused and neglected child at any stage of an abused child's case, independent of court appointment. Justice for Children seeks to provide a full range of advocacy and services for abused and neglected children; that includes pro-bono legal advocacy, public policy monitoring, guidance through a complex child protective system, professional referrals, mental health services, court watch, research, education, and emotional support. At press, no one answered the telephone to confirm this information directly. On their web site, go to Profile: Our History for excellent information regarding their purpose.
- Legal Momentum
- 395 Hudson Street, 5th Floor
- New York, NY 10014
- 212.925.6635
- 212.226.1066, Fax
- www.legalmomentum.org
- This small, national nonprofit provides information and national referrals to organizations in your area that may help you with domestic violence, employment, sexual harrassment, immigration, and other issues. They have various legal publications, a helpline and, on occasion, Legal Momentum accepts precedent-setting, policy, or grant-funded cases, which sometimes go to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their mission is "to ensure economic and personal security for all women and girls."
- Legal Services Corporation
- 3333 K Street, NW, 3rd Floor
- Washington, D.C. 20007-3522
- 202.295.1500
- 202.295.1684
- 202.337.6797, Fax
- www.lsc.gov
- As extracted from their site, LSC is the single largest funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans in the nation. Established in 1974, LSC operates as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that promotes equal access to justice and provides grants through independent nonprofit legal aid programs (grantees) for high-quality civil legal assistance to low-income Americans, defined as those living in households with annual incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. Women, many of whom are struggling to keep their children safe and their families together, comprise 70 percent of clients. LSC grantees help parents obtain and keep custody of their children, help victims of domestic violence by obtaining protective and restraining orders, assist family members in obtaining guardianship for children without parents, and other family law matters. More than a third of all cases closed by local LSC programs are family law cases (See About: What is LSC). LSC's reach includes the United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories (including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam), and an area that includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau (See About: Types of Grants). On their web site, under the Local Programs tab, click Program Profiles to find your state's resources. At press, no one from LSC returned our calls to verify the information given here.
- Legal Services of North Florida
- 133 Staff Drive NE, #B
- Fort Walton Beach FL 32548
- 850.862.3279
- 850.862.6327, Fax
- http://www.lsnf.org
- Legal Services of North Florida provides family and civil law assistance in sixteen counties for low income persons. Additional offices are located in Tallahassee, Panama City, Pensacola, and Quincy, FL.
- Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice
- 1241 S. Soto Street, Suite 102
- Los Angeles CA 90023
- 323.980.3500
- info@laclj.org
- http://www.laclj.org
- The Center provides legal assistance and advocacy in family law matters, including domestic violence, housing, and immigration issues. Their mission "is to provide direct representation and education to low-income families facing the greatest barriers to justice."
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD, National)
- 511 E. John Carpenter Freeway, #700
- Irving, TX 75062
- 800.438.6233
- 877.275.6233
- 972.869.2206/07, Fax
- www.madd.org
- The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- Charles B. Wang International Children's Building
- 699 Prince Street
- Alexandria, VA 22314-3175
- 800.843.5678 (800.THE.LOST, Hotline )
- 703.224.2150 (Direct)
- 703.224.2122, Fax
- http://www.ncmec.org
- http://www.missingkids.com
- The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children expresses its mission serving as the nation's resource for these children, providing information and resources to law enforcement, parents, professionals, children, and child victims. As stated on their site, "Established in 1984, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® is the leading nonprofit organization in the U.S. working with law enforcement, families and the professionals who serve them on issues related to missing and sexually exploited children. As part of its Congressional authorization, NCMEC has created a unique public and private partnership to build a coordinated, national response to the problem of missing and sexually exploited children, establish a missing children hotline and serve as the national clearinghouse for information related to these issues." For further domestic and international information, and additional links, including The Department of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, please visit our Child Abduction Resources. For international abduction, retention, and adoption issues, visit the U.S. Department of State link below, also.
- National Crime Victim Law Institute
- Lewis and Clark Law School
- 310 SW Fourth Avenue, #540
- Portland OR 97204
- 888.768.6556 (Hotline)
- 503.768.6819 (Office)
- 866.301.8794, Fax
- ncvli@lclark.edu
- http://www.ncvli.org
- The National Crime Victim Law Institute protects, enforces, and advances victims' rights, actively promoting balance and fairness in the justice system through crime victim centered legal advocacy, education, and resource sharing. Their national victim resource map endeavors to provide resources, organizations, and attorneys by state, for crime victims. To find the map and for more information about it, on their home page at the right, click Victim Resources, then the Resource Map. As a national nonprofit legal education and advocacy organization, the NCVLI also has a members' alliance by state, which includes crime victims' rights specialists who may be able to assist with related custody issues.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- PO Box 161810
- Austin, TX 78716
- 800.799.7233 (800.799.SAFE)
- 800.787.3224 (TTY)
- 512.453.8541, Fax
- www.thehotline.org
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides national referrals for crisis intervention, legal advocacy, shelter, and counseling issues for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. Services are anonymous, confidential, 24/Hour, 7 days a week, year-round, and lingual interpretors are available for those who do not speak English.
- National Organization for Women (NOW)
- 1100 H Street NW
- #300, 3rd Floor
- Washington, DC 20005
- 202.628.8669 (628.8NOW)
- 202.331.9002 (TTY)
- 800.507.7007 (For catalog)
- 202.785.8576, Fax
- now@now.org
- www.now.org (See, local chapters)
- The National Organization for Women works to eliminate discrimination, harrassment, violation, racism, sexism, and homophobia, and promotes reproductive freedoms, equality, and justice. As extracted from their site: "The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW's goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society (see, About: NOW).
- National Partnership for Women and Families
- 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, #650
- Washington, DC 20009
- 202.986.2600
- 202.986.2539, Fax
- info@nationalpartnership.org
- www.nationalpartnership.org
- This nonprofit organization uses public education and advocacy to promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family but they do not provide any direct legal services (see, About Us and Contact Info).
- Nolo
- 950 Parker Street
- Berkeley CA 94710
- 800.728.3555
- 510.549.1976
- 510.704.2248 (Bookstore)
- 800.645.0895, Fax
- www.nolo.com
- Resources include national how-to legal books, software, library services, free legal information, and a national lawyer directory.
- Passaic County Women's Center Outreach Office
- PO Box 244
- Paterson NJ 07513
- 973.881.0725
- 973.881.1450 (Hotline)
- 973.881.0617, Fax
- http://www.njaconline.org
- Resources include assistance with domestic violence and sexual assault. Their web site states, "The Passaic County Women's Center (PCWC) provides a confidential place to stay, education, counseling, and case management services to survivors of domestic violence and their children. A 24-hour hotline is also operated at the shelter." (see, Programs: Passaic County Women's Center)
- Pine Tree Legal Assistance
- 88 Federal Street
- PO Box 547
- Portland, ME 04112
- 800.442.4293 (Maine Volunteers Lawyers Project)
- 207.774.8211
- 711 [can try: 207.828.2308] (TTY)
- 207.828.2300, Fax
- www.ptla.org
- Pine Tree Legal Assistance provides free legal assistance to those who are low-income in Maine. However, for custody issues, contact the Maine Volunteers Lawyers Project @ 800.442.4293. Pine Tree's website also provides links to pro bono resources throughout the country, including for custody issues. Click their Links tab at the top and explore their Legal Services Programs and Pro Bono Links for stateside support sites [scroll down for your state's resources], and their Legal Aid Around the World Link for international support sites. At the bottom of Pine Tree's pages are additional links, including HelpMELaw and KidsLegal. Their Stateside Legal option provides legal help for military members, veterans, and their families. Their web site states: "PTLA is a statewide, non-profit organization committed to providing high quality, free, civil legal assistance to low-income people in Maine. Our mission is to ensure that state and federal laws affecting poor people are enforced while also addressing the systemic barriers to justice that low-income Mainers face. We are committed to ensuring that all Mainers have access to justice." (see, About Us).
- Pro Se Hotline
- The Family Law Hotline @ The Women's Law Center of Maryland
- Women's Law Center of Maryland
- 305 West Chesapeake Avenue, #201
- Towson, MD 21204
- 800.845.8550 (Family Law Hotline)
- 800.818.9888 (Legal Forms Helpline)
- 410.321.8761 (Office)
- 410.321.0462, Fax
- www.wlcmd.org
- The Women's Law Center of Maryland advocates for an equal playing field in the law for women and children, provides assistance and forms support pertaining mostly to family law issues (divorce, custody, visitation, and child support), offers legal forms helpline support hours, and family law hotline hours. Their site states, "The Women's Law Center provides information and direct legal service in the core areas of domestic violence, family law and employment law. The mission of the Women's Law Center of Maryland is to serve as a leading voice for justice and fairness for women by advocating for the protection and expansion of women's legal rights through legal assistance to individuals and strategic initiatives to achieve systemic change." (About Us: Mission).
- The Battered Women's Justice Project
- 1801 Nicollet Ave South, Suite 102
- Minneapolis MN 55403
- 800.903.0111, 1
- 612.824.8768
- 612.824.8965, Fax
- technicalassistance@bwjp.org
- http://www.bwjp.org
- The Battered Women's Justice Project offers training, technical assistance, and consultation on the most promising practices of the criminal and civil justice systems in addressing domestic violence. The BWJP also provides links and resources regarding domestic violence victims and offenders, and staff attorneys and advocates can provide information and analyses on effective policing, prosecuting, sentencing, and monitoring of domestic violence offenders.
- The Liz Library
- www.thelizlibrary.org
- A comprehensive collection of court issues and concerns mothers face.
- The Loyola Law School Center for Conflict Resolution
- 919 Albany Street
- Los Angeles CA 90015-1211
- 213.736.1145
- 213.736.1144, Fax
- http://www.lls.edu/ccr
- The Center for Conflict Resolution provides mediation, conciliation, and facilition services, and conflict resolution training, including for family law concerns, to the communities throughout Los Angeles County (particularly those adjacent to the Law School), and to students, faculty and staff at Loyola. Although law students cannot give legal advice or offer representation, the Law School carries a pro bono requirement for graduation. Law students often volunteer at the CCR for this reason, and may be able to help in several important ways.
- The Milligan Foundation
- 248 3rd Street #740
- Oakland CA 94607
- 510.967.4285
- 510.380.6544, Fax
- info@themilliganfoundation.org
- http://www.themilliganfoundation.org
- The Milligan Foundation provides national transportation and shelter search assistance to those who have no means to get to safety. Their site states, "The purpose of The Milligan Foundation is to provide a nationwide resource for people who are in immediate need of relocation and housing, due to imminent life threatening danger from domestic violence." (About Us).
- U.S. Department of State
- Bureau of Consular Affairs
- The Office of Children's Issues
- CA/OCS/CI
- SA-17, 9th Floor
- Washington, DC 20522-1709
- 888.407.4747, *(8-8 EST @ Office of Overseas Services)
- 202.736.9130, Direct
- 202.736.9190
- 202.501.4444*
- 202.485.6221,* Fax
- 202.736.9132, Fax
- 202.736.9133 (Prevention), Fax
- 202.736.9130/9099, Abductions
- 202.736.9259/9099, Adoptions
- 202.647.4000 Passports / Visas
- 202.647.1345, Hague Convention Information via Treaty Office, Dept. of State
- 202.647.3344, Fax @ Secretary of State
- 202.736.9080, Fax, Adoptions
- adoptionusca@state.gov (Adoption Queries)
- AskCI@state.gov
- International Parental Child Abduction
- The Office of Children's Issues
- About The Office of Children's Issues
- At press, conflicting telephone and fax information was obtained for the U.S. Department of State entry. However, this should be of help when researching these issues: The U.S. Department of State helps with international parental abduction, retention, and adoption, and it cooperates with many other countries to ensure custody laws are enforced under The Hague Convention. [Click for Criteria and Hague Instructions and Fax, and check +31 (0)70 360 4867 and 011 310703604867, too]. You do not need to have custody to complete The Hague Convention Application and you can receive additional information online. For domestic resources, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children link above and the Child Abduction Resources page linked to it.
- Women's Law Project
- 125 South 9th Street, #300
- Philadelphia PA 19107
- 215.928.9801, x5760
- 215.928.9848, Fax
- 412.281.2892 (Pittsburg Office)
- www.womenslawproject.org
- The Women's Law Project provides telephone counseling regarding legal information and referral services for family law, employment, senior, and other issues for those in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. "The mission of the Women's Law Project is to create a more just and equiable society by advancing the rights and status of all women throughout their lives. To this end, we engage in high-impact litigation, advocacy, and education." (see Our Work: Mission).