Introduction to Peterson AFB Legal Office
The Peterson AFB Legal Office provides a variety of legal services to active duty military personnel and their family members, as well as to military retirees. The Legal Office is not authorized to provide legal services to civilian employees or their family members, reserved personnel, National Guard personnel who are undergoing active duty training, members of the Delayed Entry Program, or anyone not specified above. The Peterson AFB Legal Office’s mission includes the provision of legal assistance, defense services (for active duty military members only) , and productivity enhancement services to Peterson AFB leadership. Guardsmen and women should contact the 140th Wing Civilian Personnel Office for legal assistance. Retirees should refer to the Air Force Retiree Services Directory to determine the nearest legal assistance office. They should also consult the Retired Activities Office for Office or Base-specific rules regarding power of attorney and notary execution. The Peterson AFB Legal Assistance Office offers general legal assistance services by appointment to active duty members and their family members, as well as to military retirees and their eligible family members. The types of legal assistance services offered include estate planning, domestic relations counseling, consumer protection, tax issues, and contract-related issues, such as employment, auto loans, and credit problems. The Peterson AFB Legal Office is located in Building 350. It can be reached by phone at 719-556-4871.
Legal Assistance for Service Members
All legally and government-related matters that can be properly delegated to a non-licensed airman, civilian, or contract employee at Peterson AFB Legal Office are handled by the Freedom Springs Legal Center, located at 135 Dover St. Peterson AFB CO. The Freedom Springs Legal Center offers all of the legal assistance services that are available at Peterson AFB Legal Office.
Legal assistance attorneys provide legal advice for military members and their dependents. This advice is limited to personal civil matters only. Military members and their family members can contact the Freedom Springs Legal Center at Colorado Springs for three main reasons: to receive information about legal assistance matters; to attend informal sessions or workshops, or to make appointments for individual interviews. As an active duty military member, you may not be represented in matters you brought on your own behalf, or in criminal prosecutions.
Deployment-readiness appointments
Active duty members are only permitted to receive legal assistance for deployment-readiness matters that relate to the member’s deployment. For example, we cannot prepare a POA unless the POA is related to your deployments. We do have a deployment briefing where we discuss the powers of attorney, the RIP, and Wills. The deployment briefing takes place every Thursday at 1400 (2:00 p.m.) and every Tuesday and Wednesday at 0800 (8:00 a.m.) Attend these briefings if your unit has received a deployment notice. This briefing will answer most of the questions you have regarding Wills, POAs, and RHIP.
Powers of attorney
The Freedom Springs Legal Center issues two kinds of powers of attorney: a special power of attorney and a general power of attorney. A General Power of Attorney delegates all of your legal and financial matters to someone you authorize. A Special Power of Attorney limits who is authorized to act in a legal and/or financial matter. For example, we can give your spouse authority to buy or sell a car but not your entire financial powers. You can also limit the type of transactions that your spouse may conduct under the Special POA (i.e., house only).
Wills
The Freedom Springs Legal Center provides free Wills to active duty military members. For a Will, we require that both the active duty member be present for the entire session and you bring two witnesses with you. (We have two volunteer witnesses that are at the Freedom Springs Legal Center every Thursday at 1400 (2:00 p.m.). Most of the time we have to reschedule the appointment because the spouses of our active duty members do not bring the witnesses as required by our office). If you are married, we will need your spouse’s information in order to complete the Will. This information includes their full name, date of birth, home address, and SSN. We also will need the full names of your children and their dates of birth. Review the Freedom Springs Legal Center Workshop topics to see when the Wills develop workshop is scheduled.
Representation in civil matters
Military members are provided attorneys to represent them in many personal civil matters. An example of this would be representation regarding family law matters. One of these family law topics is filing for divorce, when the other party is present. We can represent you only in Colorado Springs if you go to court to obtain a divorce in Colorado. We cannot represent military members who go to court in another city.
Accessing Services
The Peterson AFB Legal Office is ready to assist you and your family with whatever legal issues may arise. To schedule an appointment for one of our services listed above or to seek general assistance, we encourage you to make the most of our services by contacting us directly at the information provided below, or via the latest version of the local legal office guide at http://www.aflegalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator/documents/PACAF.pdf.
The Peterson Air Force Base Legal Office provides free legal assistance to active duty members, retirees, and their dependents. With the exception of court-related documents, there is no financial qualification to receive legal assistance. We also advise immediate family members of retirees, but not retirees who are divorced. In addition, we provide notary services and powers of attorney to anyone listed as a dependent in DEERS (including DoD or OPM civilian employees stationed on Peterson AFB). These individuals must visit our office in person. Powers of attorney can be obtained from any notary public, and through a Quick Action Legal Assistance Program (QALAP) held periodically at a unit; no appointment is required through QALAP.
Programs and Special Initiatives
The Peterson AFB Legal Office has long been a pioneer for the rest of the Air Force when it comes to providing valued, effective legal assistance to military members and their families. This proactive approach is particularly apparent in its laser-like focus on the issues that face military personnel and their families. For example, the Peterson AFB Legal Office offers a full range of programs to support you and your family. Its attorney-led legal workshops are an excellent example. These informal, interactive classes provide practical insights into many of the basic legal issues you will face during your career. They are open to all military members and their families. Topics covered by these workshops include: Power of Attorney , Beneficiary Designations, Wills, and other estate planning topics. Sessions are typically held on Fridays from noon to 1PM in the Legal Office Conference Room. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunch and join the session. You can also receive information on these topics from the Legal Information Workshop, which is held Tuesdays at noon. A Legal Assistance attorney or paralegal will present information on services available through the Legal Office and popular legal topics of interest to military members and their families. The program lasts about an hour and is free and open to all.
FAQs
Peterson AFB Legal Office services a wide variety of personal, legal, marital, and financial issues arising in the local community. The following are some of the most commonly asked questions and answers for your reference.
I arrived at Peterson Air Force Base with a new car; how do I get a title to Colorado?
In order to receive a Colorado title for your vehicle you must establish your residency in Colorado with your new assignment to Peterson AFB. You do so by first getting a Colorado driver’s license and registering and titling your vehicle in Colorado with either the local Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices or the DMV express kiosks located throughout the Pikes Peak region. You should first contact the DMV for a checklist of the documents needed in order to establish your Colorado residency.
I want to change my name, how do I start the process?
You must file a name change request with the court in the county you reside in. You will need an attorney to file your application for you unless you are seeking to change your name based upon your marriage or divorce. We can assist you on your name change if it relates to the termination of a marriage.
I had some older debt that has now gone against my credit score and it appears as a public record; can I have my name removed from the public records?
Once a court judgment is entered it will appear on your credit report. You have 90 days from the time you are served with the judgment to file an appeal. If you fail to file an appeal, you must show some sort of ‘good cause’ as to why the court should consider removing the judgment after the 90 day window. You must also go into court and request that the judgment be vacated. However, if you were served in person and failed to respond or appear, you may not have any good cause for the court to vacate the judgment.
I have an active warrant out of a foreign country; do I need to worry about that arresting me?
Although the United States has informant agreements with many foreign countries, there is no worldwide system in place to allow the U.S. to enforce the laws of other countries against their citizens unless the U.S. citizen committed the crime on U.S. soil. In addition, the United States has entered into treaty agreements with certain foreign countries agreeing to enforce their laws without the United States unless the crime is an ‘extraditable offense’. The United States has not entered into an extraditable agreement with all foreign countries. For example, for citizens of the United States, the United States will enforce crimes committed in the United Kingdom if it is a crime in the United States and the United Kingdom.
If I am deployed and do not have anyone to represent me to fight a ticket, or make a payment on a civil claim, or file for divorce; what can I do?
You should come to the Peterson AFB Legal Office to discuss your power of attorney options. You need to have someone in the United States to be your representative and to handle the matter for you. You should not miss court dates which could result in a default judgment against you. A default judgment will be enforceable in the same way it would if it were filed in your home of record state. If you still need help after you obtain the power of attorney, the USAFA legal office may assist you.
Community Impact and Feedback
The Peterson AFB legal office has become an indispensable part of the lives of many service members since its doors opened in October 2009. From drafting wills to completed contracts, the legal office easily navigates the complexities of a military member’s life. "The staff is always friendly and helpful and will get you answers fast. This is a valuable opportunity the legal office is providing for free," said Captain Kevin Eby, a pilot who has used the Peterson AFB legal office for wills and General Power of Attorney. The legal office services include legal assistance for personal legal matters, civil litigation, general information, tax assistance during tax season and Notaries Public. While the legal office has been operational for less than a year as part of the 10th Force Support Squadron , the staff has already made a lasting impression on those who have made use of their legal services. "We will always remember how much money you saved us and how you went above and beyond to ensure my husband was able to deploy without lingering legal issues hanging over his head," said Lt. Col. David Banda, 21st Medical Group chief of the clinic. "Your professionalism and support has shown you have an exceptional caring for the members and families here at Peterson." Services are offered throughout the week Monday through Friday and are available by appointment only for legal assistance and tax assistance portions of the program. Service members can contact the legal office at 556-4810 for assistance.