Powers of attorney and notaries are currently available on a walk-in basis any time the office is open. Other Legal Assistance services include family law (divorce, paternity, support, adoption), estate planning (wills, health care directives, durable powers of attorney), real and personal property (landlord tenant, housing), consumer law (debt collection, garnishment, SCRA), civilian administrative (name changes immigration and naturalization, driving privileges), military administrative (Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss, OER and NCOER appeals, Memoranda of Reprimand rebuttals, Article 138 complaints, security clearances), torts and civilian criminal matters.

Per Army Regulation 27-3, the following are types of cases in which legal assistance is either not authorized or only offers limited services: military justice matters, private business activities, civil litigation or claims against the United States, employment matters - except those involving enforcement of USERRA, contingent legal fee cases (limited assistance), prepaid legal representation cases (limited assistance), and standards of conduct issues. Legal assistance attorneys are also not able to advise Soldiers on any matter arising out of an allegation against them of sexual assault.

Eligible Clients

Per regulation, the following persons are eligible to receive legal assistance:

• Active Component members of the Armed Forces and their Family Members.
• Reserve Component members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty more than 29 days, and their Family Members.
• Active and Reserve Component members of the Armed Forces who are receiving military retirement or disability pay ("gray" card retired Reserve Component members are not eligible for assistance).
• Department of Defense civilian employees against whom pecuniary liability has been recommended under AR 735-5.
• Department of Defense civilian employees who are to deploy to a combat zone, but only for matters related to their imminent deployment.

The Divorce and Separation Video Briefing

The divorce brief will be offered on Mondays at 2:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Prior to scheduling an appointment with one of our attorneys for divorce or separation, you must attend this briefing from our office.

MEB Counsel

The Soldier's MEB Counsel Office (SMEBC) is located at Building 1162, Ellis Street on Fort Carson. For MEB/PEB assistance and appointments, please call 719-526-6849.

Special Victim Counsel Program

The Special Victim Counsel (SVC) is a Judge Advocate licensed attorney who represents the interests of qualified sexual assault victims throughout the duration of the Military Justice or administrative process. The SVC works exclusively for the victim, not for the Army or any other person, organization, or entity.

If the victim requests an SVC and qualifies for services, the SVC will work with the victim to explain the legal proceedings and/or administrative actions in their case and represent the victim for relevant portions of a courts-martial. The SVC can accompany the victim to all interviews with the criminal investigators, the prosecution team, and defense counsel. The SVC can also provide legal assistance services as related to their case.

For more information, contact your Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC), Victim Advocate or call legal assistance at 719-526-5572 or 719-526-5573.

Fort Carson Tax Center

Effective Oct. 5, 2022, the Fort Carson Legal Assistance office will no longer provide tax preparation services to otherwise eligible persons. The staff is authorized by regulation and will continue to provide tax preparation services to surviving Families.

Moving forward, Soldiers, Families and retirees can find tax preparation assistance through Military One Source (MilTax) or through the Internal Revenue Service at https://irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/.

The staff offers a tax brief every Friday at 1 p.m. ending April 14 (the Friday before Tax Day).

Family Law

Information Paper: Support of Dependents UP AR 608-99

Paternity and Adoptions

• Colorado Adoption Help

• Colorado Paternity Forms

• International Adoptions - U.S. Department of State website

Estate Planning

• Do I need a will?

• Estate Planning Guardianship

• Fort Carson Will Worksheet

• Testamentary Trusts

Guardianship Issues

• Advanced Medical Directives & Health Care Powers of Attorney

• Colorado Guardianship Forms

• Guardianship Information Paper

• Secondary Dependency Information Paper

Life Insurance

• National Association of Insurance Commissioners

• Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance

Real Property

• Colorado Landlord-Tenant Laws

• Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) & Your Lease

Consumer Protection

• Identity Theft Information Paper

• Identity Theft Victim Packet

Vehicles

• Car Buying Information Paper

• Colorado Lemon Law

  • Other States Lemon Laws

• El Paso County DMV

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

• Keys to Vehicle Leasing

• Recall Information - National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

Credit Problems

• Fair Credit Reporting Act

• Fair Debt Collection Act

Credit Reporting Agencies

• Colorado Consumer Line 800-222-4444

• Disputing Credit Report Errors

• EQUIFAX

• EXPERIAN

• Free Credit Report

• Identity Theft Website

• Information Paper on Identity Theft

• Trans Union

Contract Issues

• Rights Under the SCRA Information Paper

• SCRA and Your Lease Information Paper

Economics

• Bankruptcy Matters Information Paper

• Debt Collections Information Paper

• State Consumer Protection Offices

Military Issues

• Administrative Reprimands Information Paper

• Article 139 Claims Information Paper

• Bar to Continued Service Information Paper

• Compassionate Reassignments Information Paper

• Evaluation Reports & Appeals

• Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss (FLIPLs)

• Military Titling Information Paper

• Self-Reporting Information Paper

• Separation under the Qualitative Management Program (QMP)

• Your Rights Under the SCRA

Income Tax

• Federal Tax Forms & Publications

• Income Taxes Information Paper