Ottawa Office
1021 Clinton Street |
 print map and contact information |
Phone Numbers:
Telephone: (815) 434-5903 and (800) 892-7888
FAX: (815) 434-2642
Counties Served:
Bureau, Grundy, La Salle, Lee, and Putnam
Managing Attorney:
Donald R. Dirks Jr.
Ottawa Office Priorities
Call the local office number if your problem is listed on this page: The following list of cases shows the types of matters that the Ottawa Prairie State office may take for eligible clients residing in Bureau, Grundy, La Salle, Lee, and Putnam Counties. If you live in these counties and see your problem type listed on this page, please call your local office at (815) 434-5903. The local office may represent financially eligible persons with the types of cases shown below, although the extent of representation may depend upon a number of factors including the merits of the case and the availability of staff.
Housing
- Persons who are threatened with the loss or denial of utility services.
- Persons locked-out of their homes or threatened with lock-out.
- Persons who have been improperly denied or terminated from government subsidized housing benefits.
- Persons who are denied housing due to unlawful discrimination.
- Persons facing eviction from private or government subsidized housing
- Persons living in mobile homes where their leases are not being renewed.
- Tenants to address substandard housing conditions.
- Homeowners who face foreclosure on government subsidized loans, or on private non-subsidized loans.
Health
- Persons denied essential medical care or threatened with the loss of such care.
- Persons denied or threatened with termination of Medicaid eligibility.
- Persons with other issues vital to their ability to secure necessary medical care.
Consumer or Debt Collection
- Persons who are denied or threatened with termination or substantial reduction of needs- based government assistance.
- Persons with issues in other income benefit programs such as Unemployment Insurance or Social Security benefits
- Persons whose exempt income and/or assets are threatened by a creditor’s collection efforts.
Family Law
- Victims of domestic violence in securing orders of protection or other relief.
- Victims of domestic violence to obtain a divorce or to respond when the abuser has filed for a divorce.
- Legal custodians of children who have been illegally abducted by persons who do not have legal custody of the child.
- Parents or other care-givers who are seeking to protect children from physical abuse or serious risk to health or safety.
- Custodial parents threatened with the loss of custody by a private party. (Not DCFS)
- Parents seeking to ensure reasonable visitation with their children.
- Parents in court cases involving changes to an existing court order regarding visitation or custody.
- Parents facing the termination of their parental rights in adoption proceedings.
Government Benefits
- Persons who are denied or threatened with termination or substantial reduction of needs- based government assistance.
- Persons with issues in other income benefit programs such as Unemployment Insurance or Social Security benefits
- Persons with alleged overpayments of government benefits.
Education Problems or Other Issues for Children
- Children (or their parents) where a child is improperly denied admission to a public school.
- Children facing expulsion or disciplinary matters.
- Care-givers who are seeking guardianship or custody for a child that has been abandoned, abused, or neglected.
Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly
- Elderly and persons with disabilities being physically abused or severely neglected by caregivers.
- Persons with disabilities or the elderly in matters involving financial exploitation.
- Persons in petitioning for guardianship of adults with disabilities.
- Persons in vocational rehabilitation and home services program matters.
- Persons with terminal illness in planning for the care of their minor children.
- Persons in addressing health care concerns through planning and preparation.
Tax Disputes with the IRS (Call our Low Income Tax Clinic at 1-855-TAX-PSLS)
- Taxpayers who need relief from IRS collection activities.
- Taxpayers who need to dispute the amount owed to the IRS
- Taxpayers who seek to reduce the amount owed to the IRS.
- Taxpayers who have received notices from the IRS that need a response.
Miscellaneous Problems
- Persons in preparing powers of attorney for property.
- Persons in driver’s license suspensions when a license is necessary for work or medical care.
- Persons in bankruptcy matters.
- Individuals and groups who want help to develop or improve rules, policies or procedures of government agencies affecting basic human needs (when we are allowed to do so under Legal Services Corporation regulations).
Back to Main Map