New website created for legal assistance needs

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Galloway and Capt. Konrad Osa
  • Electronic Systems Center Legal Office
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Recently, the United States Air Force's Judge Advocate General's Office created a website that assists customers with legal assistance needs.

The site, which can be found at https://aflegalassistance.law.af.mil, assists with a variety of legal issues. Hanscom Air Force Base's Legal Office highly encourages all customers to view this website prior to scheduling an appointment or coming to the office. It may save time on a trip and answer some of the questions people may have.

Questions and answers can be found in the "Legal Information" section of the site. Here users can search for handouts that discuss various legal matters. Some examples of these are financial affairs, deployment readiness, family law and wills and estate planning.

Along with the handouts is a locator link that will assist in finding the closest legal office. There is another link on the page called "Legal Worksheets." On this particular page, users can create their own powers of attorney or will and advance medical directive. While doing this, users are given the opportunity to save it and establish a ticket number. The ticket number is what the closest legal office will use to print out the request. The legal office recommends calling prior to arriving to ensure the documents were properly saved and are available to view.

Finally, there is a link called "Online Survey." This is the most important link to the base offices and The Judge Advocate General (TJAG) of the Air Force. Completing this survey will assist the website administrators with keeping the site as accurate and user-friendly as possible. Completion of the survey also allows the base offices and TJAG the ability to improve or sustain the quality and quantity of service provided to clients.

Legal assistance enhances the readiness and welfare of active duty and reserve members of the armed forces by providing quality legal services regarding personal civil legal matters to eligible persons and by educating eligible persons regarding their personal legal rights and responsibilities.

Legal assistance accomplishes its mission by direct client assistance services and a vigorous preventive law program that educates and informs the military community through a variety of creative and stimulating outreach efforts. It promotes increased readiness of active duty and reserve members and enhances the morale and quality of life for military personnel, family members and other eligible clients, through provision of in-office attorney advice, aid and referral services and vigorous preventive law activities.

Please keep in mind that the information provided through the Air Force Legal Assistance website is for educational and general information purposes only. It is not legal advice. The office recommends speaking with a licensed attorney before relying on the information contained within to make a decision or take any action. For those experiencing any problems with the website or require assistance navigating the webpage, call 781-377-2361 or DSN 478-2361.


Eligibility for legal assistance varies somewhat among the services. Generally, legal assistance is available to the following:

1. Members of the armed forces on active duty, including members of a reserve component.
2. Following release from active duty orders for 30 days or more, members of Reserve components are eligible for legal assistance for a period beginning on the date of release from active duty and continuing for a period equal to twice the length of the period served on those active duty orders.
3. Retired military personnel.
4. Dependents, including spouses and minor children, of those listed above, who are entitled to a military identification card.
5. Inactive members of the Reserve components, subject to federal mobilization, may receive deployment-related legal assistance.
6. Civilian employees and contractors deploying to or in a theater of operations may receive wills and powers of attorney.
7. Civilian employees assigned outside the United States and its territories, including their dependents residing with them.