Legal Assistance

Services available

Go online to the new Air Force-wide Legal Assistance website. All of the handouts and worksheets can be found on the site. 

Our Legal Assistance attorneys can help you with a range of issues, including wills and estates questions, family law (divorce, child custody), automobile or personal property, landlord-tenant disputes, finance, taxes and consumer law. Note:  We do not draft paperwork or do trusts. 

Office hours are Monday- Thursday 9 to 3 and closed on Friday.

We do general powers of attorney, special powers of attorney and notaries on a walk-in basis, anytime during normal business hours; real estate closing documents are by appointment only. If you would like a will or health care power of attorney, those are by appointment only every Wednesday morning.

Our attorneys draft legal reviews on a whole range of subjects that are submitted to our office. Most of these come from organizations, but some that may apply to you personally are noted here. You can submit your request for a legal review either by bringing a hard copy to our office or by emailing the request and supporting documentation to our workflow account. Make sure you leave good contact information for any follow-up and so we can let you know when the review is complete. Reviews generally take about five duty days to complete.

Our Legal Office is responsible for running the federal magistrate program on Edwards AFB. This is a court that prosecutes misdemeanors committed by civilians on Edwards AFB. Contractors, Department of Defense employees, family members and base visitors are all subject to the court’s jurisdiction. 

The common offenses are traffic violations, petty theft, assault, drug possession and DUIs. If you receive a citation, you most likely will have to go to Bakersfield for your arraignment; but any of the trials are held at the Edwards AFB courthouse. 

The court can impose fines and sentences of confinement, but convictions may result in base punishments, including suspension of driving privileges, barment and restricted access on base.

Military justice personnel are available to answer questions regarding imposition of non-judicial punishment at 661-277-4316 or DSN 312-527-4316; however, if you are currently undergoing any proceedings where you have violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, contact the area defense counsel at 661-277-2809 or DSN 312-527-2809.

Household goods claims services

The General Law Section can assist personnel in filing claims. All household good claims are handled by the Air Force Claims Service Center (at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio). Pink forms (DD Form 1840 or 1840R) must be dispatched to the carrier no later than 70 days from the date of delivery of the HHGs. Visit the Claims Center website for information on how to file electronically and to begin the claims process. If you are filing a tort claim, contact the claims office at 661-277-4380 or DSN 312-527-4380. These matters include incidents such as if a runaway golf cart hits your car, power outages cause the food in the refrigerator to spoil or government privately owned vehicle incidents, etc.