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Legal Services
Powers of Attorney and simple notaries are normally provided on a walk-in basis. Notaries for paperwork dealing with the selling, purchasing, or refinancing of real property require an appointment. All other legal services are available by appointment. Please send your request for services to our office email address: usarmy.usag-italy.setaf-af.mbx.sja-legal-assistance@army.mil. All requests must include your name, DOD ID number, phone number, and a brief summary of your issue. It is extremely important to include your correct telephone number. Individuals requiring emergency services will be given the proper priority.
About Us
The Legal Assistance attorneys provide confidential counsel to Soldiers, retirees, civilian employees, and their families regarding their personal legal problems. Providing legal assistance is part of the Army’s ongoing effort to promote an enhanced quality of life. Personal legal difficulties may cause low morale and disciplinary problems and may also adversely affect combat readiness. Our goal is to improve morale by providing Soldiers and their families information, advice, and assistance responsive to their personal legal needs and problems. Legal assistance attorneys serving in Italy acquire the additional dimension of hands-on experience in the laws of the host-nation.
POAs & LEGAL OFFICES
PCSing requires a lot of appointments and paperwork. As a spouse, there are times when you’ll need to or want to be the person who takes over these responsibilities, especially if your Soldier is not able to because of training or deployments. In many cases you’ll need legal authority, meaning a Power of Attorney (POA), to make such decisions on behalf of your Soldier.
WHAT IS A POWER OF ATTORNEY (POA)?
A power of attorney is a written instrument that allows you (the "principal") to authorize someone else (your "agent" or "attorney-in-fact") to act on your behalf and carry on your business in your absence. For example, you might wish to allow a friend to sell your car or ship your household goods. Never have a POA unless you need one and always try to make it a Special POA.
ARE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS OF POAS?
There are two basic types of powers of attorney:
General POA: A general POA allows an agent to do most things that you could legally do yourself, from obtaining a loan to signing a rental contract.
Special POA: A special (or limited) POA only allows an agent to perform specified acts. Never use a general POA when a special POA can be used.
NOTE: Your Soldier must be present to sign a POA in the presence of the notary, but you (the “agent”) do not.
MILITARY SPOUSES, PCSING & POAS
It’s a safe bet that you’ll need a POA at some point during your PCS to handle matters when your Soldier isn’t able to. The pace of in-processing in Vicenza is fast, so consider getting POAs BEFORE PCSing to arrive better prepared. Consult your Legal Office.
Here a few instances when you might need a POA:
Ship, pick up, or register a vehicle overseas
Set up banking & manage finances
Sign leases and housing documents
TIP: The Legal Assistance Offices at Caserma Ederle or the Brigade Legal Office at Caserma Del Din can prepare general, special, or health care POAs on a walk-in basis.
WHEN DOES A POWER OF ATTORNEY EXPIRE?
The expiration date of a POA should be specified in the document and never be made indefinite. Regardless of an expiration date, however, all POAs will automatically terminate when revoked or when either you or your agent die (unless a substitute agent is named).
SJA LEGAL SERVICES
SJA & VICENZA LEGAL ASSISTANCE OFFICES
From international law to tax centers and Legal Assistance Offices, the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate provides legal services to Commanders and their staff, military law enforcement, Soldiers, retirees, civilian employees, and their families. Legal assistance attorneys serving in the Vicenza Legal Assistance Office also have the additional dimension of hands-on experience in the laws of Italy.
Visit your local SJA office to learn about their services.
WANT TO WORK OVERSEAS?
Command Sponsored dependents stationed overseas must abide by the employment regulations set forth in the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Contact your Legal Assistance Office for details.
LEGAL SERVICES
In addition to the walk-in services for power of attorney, the Legal Assistance Office offers the following services on an appointment basis:
Assist with questions pertaining to overseas employment and SOFA regulations
Affidavits for Soggiorno (bring birth & marriage certificates, PCS Orders, & ID)
Wills (must first complete a will worksheet)
Estate planning
Advance medical directives and health care powers of attorney
Debt collection/credit reporting problems
Identity theft
Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
OER and NCOER appeals
FLIPL rebuttals and requests from reconsideration
GOMOR rebuttals, removals, and transfers
Security clearance rebuttals and appeals
Immigration and naturalization
Separation and divorce counseling
During the tax season, the Legal Assistance Office operates a tax center.
SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT
WHAT IS SCRA?
In 2003, President Bush signed the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) into law which replaced and expanded the former Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) from 1940. The SCRA offers many protections to Activity Duty Servicemembers ranging from mortgages to interest rates. The SCRA can come into play in matters relating to:
To learn more about SCRA protections and whether they might apply to your family prior to or during an OCONUS PCS or deployment, contact your Legal Assistance Office on post.
